Charity to re-use old cellphones

Stuart Corner
Friday, 30 April 2010 09:52

Your IT - Mobility

The cellphone manufacturers won't like it, but a charity has come up with a recycling scheme for mobiles that re-uses rather than dismantling them: the fate of phones recycled under AMTA's long running 'Mobile Muster' scheme.

Money4mobiles.com.au encourages individuals and businesses to send in their old mobiles and either get paid direct to their bank account - rates range from $1 to $500 - or donate part of the value to Make-A-Wish Australia, a charity which aims to grants the wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions.

Money4mobiles.com.au then sends the phones to emerging and developing nations including India, Russia, South America and China. It aims to re-use 75 percent of all phones received, with any surplus product stripped for parts to help mend future faulty phones.

Money4mobiles.com.au director, Garry Ford, said: "As consumers take advantage of rapidly advancing technology and upgrade their handsets to the latest models, it's believed around 20 million mobile phones are lying around unused throughout Australia."