Round 'em up: there's gold in them thar mobiles

Stuart Corner
Monday, 29 October 2007 12:10

IT Industry - Deals

The Australian mobile industry's mobile recycling programme, MobileMuster has teamed up with a leading jeweller to show how the material recovered from recycled phones can be re-used. And on a different tack, a US research company estimates the market for handsets recycled for re-use to be $US3.5 billion per year.

Jeweller Nic Cerrone and MobileMuster (whose adverting slogan is 'Round 'em Up') have collaborated to produce a range of jewellery "highlighting what you can do with materials that can be recovered from recycled mobile phones." It includes a men's ring, cufflinks and necklace, and a women's necklace, bracelet and earrings, which, according to Mobile Muster contain the equivalent amount of gold that would be recovered from recycling 8,700 mobile phones or mining between 20 to 25 tonnes of gold ore.

TV personality and former Miss Australia, Erin McNaught, and former Olympic swimmer, Michael Klim have modelled the range which will be auctioned online from 28 October to 12 November. The money raised will be  donated to Landcare Australia as part of its joint "Old Phones, New Trees" program with MobileMuster.
 
According to Rose Read, manager of MobileMuster, an initiative o the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association's (AMTA), "Over 90 percent of mobile phone materials are recoverable. This includes gold, silver, copper and other valuable resources that can be reused to create products like jewellery, stainless steel products, batteries and plastic fence posts."

MobileMuster is claimed to be the only whole of industry electronic product recycling program in the world and is funded by handset and accessory manufacturers Nokia, Motorola, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Sony Ericsson, Sharp, NEC, Panasonic, I-Mate, Force Technology and carriers Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, 3 Mobile, Virgin Mobile and AAPT.
 
However, a new report from ABI Research suggests a market for used handsets worth $US3.5 billion this year and growing to $US6 billion by 2012 According to ABI Research, shorter handset replacement periods, growing demand for low-cost handsets in emerging markets, and regulatory requirements are key drivers of the market for recycled and refurbished handsets.