Mobile Phone Recycling Fails

Monday, 30 July 2007 23:37

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“After seven years in the game, all the industry can claim is a pathetic 3% recycling rate, despite collecting a levy on every new phone sold. Mobile Muster is all spin and no substance”, said Jeff Angel, Director of the Total Environment Centre.

“The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) in two reports to the NSW Government shows only a few percent of the mobiles sold have been recycled. AMTA likes to selectively play with figures but they can’t hide their hopeless program.” *

“They also claim that most people don’t dump their phones, preferring to keep them. But this is a temporary situation. Once the phone is technologically redundant, neither the original owner nor the person they may have passed the phone onto, is going to keep it.”

The TEC survey in the City of Sydney, Mobile Muster Myth Exposed, shows the scheme is failing on a number of fronts:

The scheme’s coverage is extremely poor; fewer than 20% (25 retailers) of mobile phone retailers actually participate.

Only 8% of all stores (11 retailers) have a visible recycling bin.

The performance of those retailers participating in the scheme is inconsistent, and lacking in many aspects such as:

* Minimal promotional and/or educational material (29%)
* Easily visible position of recycling bin (38%)

We believe the survey to be representative of other parts of Australia.

“Voluntary measures alone are proving insufficient. The toxic time bomb is ticking,” said Mr Angel.

“It’s time environment ministers imposed a regulated Extended Producer Responsibility scheme with clear targets, and make industry responsible and accountable for the waste it creates. A refundable deposit or a pre-paid return envelope with the phones would be a great incentive to get those phones out of cupboards and bins and recycled. There are successful examples from overseas,” said Mr. Angel.

* AMTA rely on the increase in the rate of recycling (from 19% to 30%) but what counts is how many mobiles sold are recycled – only 3%.
AMTA - (Nov 2006) ‘A progress report to the NSW Minister for Environment;
(June 2007), Industry Update on Mobile Muster’.

See the full report: Mobile Muster Myth Exposed