The Great Mobile Phone Hoax - Government Must Mandate National Take-Back Scheme

Thursday, 09 December 2004 10:00

 "The great mobile phone recovery hoax has finally hit rock-bottom," said Jane Castle, TEC Campaigner.

"The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) has sucked millions of dollars from consumers via an industry levy on the false promise of collection and recycling. It has lost credibility. It's time for government to mandate refundable deposits."

The ABC's 7.30 Report last night also revealed that AMTA has been making false claims that the plastic from collected phones is being made into furniture. Instead, plastics are going to landfill.

"Government must mandate a regulated take-back scheme based on refundable deposits. A deposit of $10 on each phone will encourage consumers to bring back their old ones, which can go towards their new handset. It's hardly rocket-science."

The mobile phone recycling scheme has collected less than 1/2% of mobile phones in circulation, leaving over 30 million unaccounted for.

"Four years of indifference and inefficiency is enough. The scheme is being used as a cynical cover for industry to stall on real action."

Around 12 million Australians own mobile phones and exchange them on average every 18-24 months. Over 95% of these are unaccounted for, and could end up in landfills.
Mobile phones contain toxic cocktails of arsenic, cadmium, lead and heavy metals which have been linked to cancer and a range of reproductive, neurological and developmental disorders.
 

For further information

Contact
:
Jane Castle or Jeff Angel
Phone
:
61 2 9299 5599
Email
:
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:
http://www.tec.org.au/