Parliament House has joined MobileMuster, to help round-up and recycle old mobile phones, batteries, chargers and accessories during this month.

In an ongoing commitment to improved waste management and resource recovery, the Australian Parliament has joined MobileMuster and is calling on Members and parliamentary staff to round up and hand in their old mobiles including batteries, chargers and accessories at one of the collection points located in the Parliament.

Rose Read, Manager Recycling, Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, said MPs and Senators were big users of mobile technology, which allowed them to do their jobs because they travelled extensively throughout their electorates and across Australia.

“ We are encouraging all Members, Senators, Ministers and Parliamentary Services staff to do their bit for the environment and bring in their old mobiles, batteries, chargers and accessories from home and recycle through MobileMuster’s ‘round-up’ this month,” she said.

“More than 90 per cent of the materials in mobiles can be recovered and used to make items like fence posts, stainless steel, batteries and jewellery. These materials are then turned into useful products - plastic fence posts, jewellery and stainless steel products.

“Recycling mobile phone materials avoids between 60 to 90 per cent of the greenhouse gases that would normally be emitted when making these items from new materials.”

AMTA research shows that most people have at least one unused  mobile phone at home or work and that 30% of people have at least 2, 3 or 4 old mobiles lying around at home not being used.

With more than 3,500 people in the Australian Parliament on sitting days, there are bound to be lots of old mobiles lying around in cupboards and drawers at work and home just ready for recycling.

Ms Read said: “If the estimated 14 to 16 million mobile phones currently stashed in homes and offices across Australia were recycled, the materials recovered could produce 3.2 million aluminium cans, 160,000 plastic fence posts, and save enough greenhouse gases to take 5,180 cars permanently off the road.”

Each electoral office in Australia can also help its community to recycle old mobile phones by hosting its own MobileMuster collection unit. All you need to do is register online at www.mobilemuster.com.au to set up a collection point. The collection units, pick ups and recycling are all free.

MobileMuster is a not-for-profit program funded by mobile phone manufacturers and carriers to collect, and recycle mobile phones including batteries, chargers and accessories. All mobiles collected by MobileMuster are dismantled, sorted and separated into circuit boards, batteries, plastics and metals. These are then processed either locally or overseas for resource recovery.

To find out more about what happens to recycled phones go to www.mobilemuster.com.au