Mobile phone collections this year have consistently tracked on target. As a result more than 122 tonnes of mobile phone components were collected for recycling since July 2008, up 26% on last year’s collection of 97 tonnes.

This means more than 804,000 handsets and batteries, as well as 73 tonnes of accessories and associated plastics are no longer stashed away in cupboards and drawers at home or work going to waste. Over 90% of the materials in these components will now be recovered to make new products like plastic fence posts, jewellery and stainless steel. This brings the total number of handsets and batteries collected since the program started to more than 4.26 million and total weight collected to 621 tonnes.

In addition, 25,000 trees will be planted in Victoria and NSW to restore precious koala habitats and rare Cumberland Woodlands as a result of MobileMuster and Landcare Australia's Old Phones More Trees initiative where for every kilogram of mobile phones handed in for recycling between 1 May and World Environment Day on 5 June a tree would be planted.

This was the third year of the Old phones, more trees campaign. As as a result a total of 200,000 trees will have been planted across Australia by the end of next year, restoring degraded landscapes, enhancing biodiversity and wildlife habitats.

More than 280 schools have also contributed this year by participating in the Old Phones New Fence posts recycling challenge held in May, where for every 5 kg of mobiles phones collected MobileMuster and Australia Composite Technology will donate a fence post to the Baw Baw Shire area, which was devastated by the Victorian bushfires earlier this year. As a result more than 720 fence posts have been donated to re-fence around 5 kilometres of property boundaries and creek lines in the Baw Baw Shire and Kinglake area including sites at Labertouche Primary School and Middle Kinglake Primary School that were destroyed during the fires.

MobileMuster would also like to thank the 2,600 plus official collection points who have collected and sent in these mobiles for recycling, as well as the 4,000 plus Australia Post outlets who have distributed recycling satchels across Australia, making recycling even easier for people. Certificates of Achievement are now being sent out to all those retail outlets, service centres, councils, businesses, schools, banks, MPs and other organisations acknowledging their contribution.