Forest Hill Public School, near Wagga Wagga, NSW, will be presented with the National Champion Schools Recycling Award on Tuesday for collecting the most mobile phones as part of the MobileMuster’s “I can do that” schools recycling challenge.

Students and their families from Forest Hill Primary School collected 38kg of mobile phones, including batteries, chargers and accessories. This was seven times more than the average amount of mobiles collected by the 178 schools that participated in last year's challenge held in the lead up to National Recycling Week in November last year.

The MobileMuster “I can do that” Schools Recycling Challenge is a joint initiative with Landcare Australia, where for every 30 kg of mobiles collected MobileMuster will donate $100 to Landcare Australia to help restore and protect critical bandicoot habitats.

178 schools including Forest Hill Public School participated in the challenge collecting just under 950 kilograms of mobiles, which included 8,400 handsets and batteries along with 430 kg of accessories.

As a result of the efforts of students and teachers at Forest Hill Public and the other 177 schools across Australia, the habitats of 32 bandicoots will be made predator proof and have new trees planted, in addition to the community gaining greater awareness of their plight.

Landcare CEO Heather Campbell said: “It is fantastic to see the Australian Mobile Telecommunication Association together with school communities across Australia supporting Landcare to help restore and protect critical bandicoot habitats.”

As National Winner of the recycling challenge Forest Hill Public School has won a Starboard FX-DUO 77 Interactive Whiteboard (valued at $3,449) courtesy of Hitachi Australia, projector and National School Champion Certificate. Students will also receive MobileMuster pencil packs.

State winners in the MobileMuster “I can do that” Schools Recycling Challenge were:

• Mundaring Primary School, Western Australia - 26kg

• Ignatius Park College, Cranbrook, Queensland - 18kg

• St Mary’s College, Hobart, Tasmania - 18kg

• St Augustine’s College, Kyabram, Victoria - 16kg and St Thomas Primary School, Drysdale, Victoria - 16kg

• Durack Primary School , Northern Territory - 15kg

• Weetangera Primary School, Australian Capital Territory - 11kg

• St John the Apostle, Christies Beach, South Australia - 9kg

For their efforts, each school and their students received a School Champion certificate and every school that handed in 8kg of old mobiles and accessories or more for recycling received 10 great Milton MobileMuster and Billie Bandicoot Reward Packs!

Chloe Fox from St Mary’s College, Hobart, won the National MobileMuster Honour Roll Champion for collecting 121 mobile phone handsets. As a result Chloe Fox won a Family Experience Pack to the value of $250.