Australia improves mobile recycling rates
Monday, September 16, 2013 - 10:49:22
Although people in the UK are encouraged to sell their old mobile phones rather than sending them to landfill or leaving them to gather dust at home, this is not the only country that has increased awareness about handset recycling over the last few years.
A new infographic created by Mobile Muster, has looked at how things have developed in Australia, where device recycling efforts have been going on for the past 15 years.
The statistics reveal that mobile phone recycling is not only more popular, but also more efficient, with 93 percent of the materials which make up a typical handset capable of being recovered during the process. This minimises waste and ensures that the precious components and minerals can be put back into circulation.
Just two percent of Australian mobile users simply chuck their phones in the bin once they have finished with them, which is down from nine percent back in 1998.
There are still about 23 million old handsets in Australian homes, with the number one reason for hanging onto old devices still being that consumers plan to use it as a backup, if their main device is lost, stolen or broken.
Last year, over 117 tonnes of mobile handsets and components were collected, including a significant number of charging cables. This has helped the environment because it means fewer new metals need to be mined, in order to produce new phones.
Mobile phone recycling companies in Australia have also been doing their bit for the environment by planting trees to help offset the carbon footprint of their activities.
It is good to see that mobile phone recycling rates are improving internationally, although it is still important for campaigners to keep fighting, so that higher levels are achieved in the future.
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