The Problem with Mobile Phones

Mobile Phones are a convenient part of our daily lives. Nearly every one of us has at least one device, which sums up to over 21 million phones, in Australia alone.

With new phones coming on the market every year and advertising campaigns giving us all different reasons to upgrade to the latest, most fashionable model the amount of old mobile phones hidden in drawers is constantly growing. Some of them even end up in landfill where they can become a real threat to the environment and human health if not handled properly.

How does Clean Up Mobile Phones help?

Our campaign aims to keep the environmental impact of used mobile phones as low as possible. We achieve this by re-using and recycling. 

Re-use is the most important part of the solution. In re-using a mobile phone, you avoid the need for virgin materials and energy use to produce a new phone – which overall has the best environmental benefit.

Recycling is important where phones cannot be re-used and the components or substances of the phone can be recovered. 

This program also provides valuable funding to Clean Up Australia. For each phone returned we receive a $3.00 donation. This money goes directly towards funding Clean Up Australia’s campaigns to clean up, fix up and conserve the environment.

How can you get involved?

Anyone can get involved – whether you are an individual, business, school, university, government or environment group. You can decide between a Reply Paid Label to download, a free Recycling satchel or a Collection Box. Clean Up makes it easy to return your phones. Learn more about the three options.

Need more information?

Get more information about mobile phones and why we need to reuse/recycle them 

• download our factsheet
• read our FAQ page
• or contact us to ask questions.