MobileMuster’s old phones become 20,000 more trees around Australia’s coastline

Thanks to many Australian’s recycling their old mobile phones and accessories as part of MobileMuster’s ‘Old phones, more trees’ campaign, more than 20,000 trees will be planted around Australia’s coastline by volunteer Landcare and Coastcare groups.

MobileMuster is the mobile phone industry’s official recycling program. This year, more than 30 tonnes of mobile phones and accessories were collected for recycling during the ‘Old phones, more trees’ campaign which ran from June to September.

“As a result more than 260,000 handsets, batteries and 15.5 tonnes of accessories have now been diverted from landfill and will be recycled,” says Rose Read, Manager, Recycling with MobileMuster.

“It also means that 25 Landcare and Coastcare volunteer groups will each receive a $2,000 grant from MobileMuster to help regenerate our coastline one tree at a time,” says Ms Read.

The ‘Old phones, more trees’ partnership between MobileMuster and Landcare Australia was established in 2007. During this time more than 179 tonnes of mobile phones and accessories have been recycled by MobileMuster, helping landcare organisations plant more than 275,000 trees.

Landcare Australia CEO, Heather Campbell says enthusiasm amongst the Landcare community for the MobileMuster grants was fantastic.

“Landcare and Coastcare groups are doing terrific work to care for our iconic beaches. Each of the 25 grant recipients will use the MobileMuster funding to support projects that will have a significant impact on their local area and community,” says Ms Campbell.

The MobileMuster grant recipients will use the funds to support projects such as dune and weed management, native seed propagation and to purchase trees, encouraging revegetation and biodiversity.

“MobileMuster is looking forward to seeing the great results achieved by each of the volunteer groups and continuing ‘Old phones, more trees’ in 2012,” concludes Ms Read.

Click here to see a list of the 2011/2012 list of MobileMuster Landcare Australia Grants recipients

For further information about MobileMuster please go to www.mobilemuster.com.au.