June 7, 2025 3:53 pm
Cell Telephone Recycling: All the pieces You Want To Know

Cell Telephone Recycling: All the pieces You Want To Know

So that you’ve received a brand new smartphone, otherwise you’re excited about upgrading to a more recent, shiner piece of tech. Forking out a cutting-edge system is a giant buy, and one that usually means your previous cellphone is regulated to the underside of the junk drawer – or worse, thrown within the bin.

With most Australians now upgrading their cellphone each two to 3 years, many people are sitting on a pile of previous units that we’re unlikely to ever use once more. So quite than contributing to Australia’s rising e-waste downside, why not recycle, reuse and even promote your now-unwanted smartphone?

Should you’re one of many tens of millions of Aussies with previous units, learn on to seek out out the place and how one can recycle your cell phone, plus different methods to reuse your system and preserve it out of landfill.

How do I put together my previous units for recycling or reuse?

Earlier than you ship your cellphone off for recycling (or to promote or reuse), you’ll need to be sure that all of your private data is erased. You’ll additionally need to make sure you’ve transferred or backed up information corresponding to pictures, messages or music, and eliminated your SIM card from the system. Right here’s a fast guidelines protecting the fundamentals.

  • Backup your cellphone’s information to accounts corresponding to iCloud and Google, or to your laptop.
  • Switch your cellphone’s information to your new smartphone: most producers can help you this through cable, or via built-in switching assistants corresponding to Samsung Good Change or the Transfer to iOS app for Apple.
  • Sign off of accounts used in your system, corresponding to social media, banking, electronic mail, and many others.
  • Disconnect any exterior units related by Bluetooth, corresponding to headphones. You are able to do this by opening Settings and unpairing every accent.
  • Take away your bodily SIM card out of your cellphone, in addition to the micro SD card if relevant.
  • Erase your information from the cellphone by performing a manufacturing unit reset. iPhone customers can discover this in Settings > Common > Switch or Reset iPhone, whereas Android homeowners ought to go to Settings > Common > Backup and Reset (this may occasionally range between units and working techniques).

Find out how to recycle your cellphone through MobileMuster

MobileMuster is a government-accredited cell phone recycling scheme, which is managed by the Australian Cell Telecommunications Affiliation (AMTA). Primarily, it’s the foremost service in Australia for maintaining your undesirable units out of landfill, and is supported by AMTA members together with Telstra, Optus, TPG/Vodafone, Apple, Samsung and Google.

This system accepts not solely cell units, but in addition battery, chargers and cell equipment. Eligible objects embrace:

  • Cell phones
  • Tablets
  • Batteries, chargers and equipment
  • Modems and routers
  • Landline telephones
  • Good dwelling tech (e.g. audio system, hubs)
  • Wearables (e.g. sensible watches and health trackers)
  • Gaming tech (e.g. consoles, controllers)
  • Cables

Is there a MobileMuster cellphone recycling drop-off close to me?

Aussies can drop off undesirable tech at greater than 3,000 drop-off areas throughout the nation; you could find a whole checklist of drop-off areas by postcode on the MobileMuster web site. MobileMuster donations are accepted at tons of of collaborating retail shops, together with Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Officeworks, and also you’ll additionally discover many metropolis councils provide assortment shops.

It’s also possible to ship your previous cellphone on to this system by requesting a free pay as you go mailing satchel. Mailing satchels might be ordered on-line from MobileMuster, and are additionally accessible to select up out of your nearest Australia Submit or JB Hello-Fi retailer. Alternatively, you should use your personal packaging and easily connect a MobileMuster pay as you go return label, which is offered to obtain from this system’s web site.

What does MobileMuster do with my previous units?

MobileMuster companions with digital waste recycling to recuperate as a lot of your previous cellphone as potential, and sometimes salvages greater than 95% of every undesirable system. All cell elements are processed at services in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, with every centre centered on minimising its environmental impression.

As soon as MobileMuster receives your system, it’s dissembled into its essential elements – circuit boards, batteries, casing, display screen, equipment and packaging. Every of those elements is individually processed via methods corresponding to shredding, crushing, and heating, to recuperate materials together with glass, aluminium, invaluable metals, plastic and paper/cardboard. Every of those supplies can then be recycled and used to make new merchandise.

Old smartphones in a pile

In case your cellphone continues to be in good working order, passing it on to a buddy or member of the family is a good way to increase its use. In keeping with Cell Muster, 72% of kids obtain their first smartphones as a hand-me-down from mother and father – a transfer that’s good for the surroundings and your pockets.

Remember that even when your youngster is simply too younger for a working smartphone, you can too convert your previous handset into a transportable gaming system or MP3 participant – no SIM card or cellphone plan wanted. Merely load your cellphone up with kid-friendly video games and apps (or your favorite tunes!) and join it to your own home’s WiFi.

Should you don’t have household or pals in want of a second-hand cellphone, chances are you’ll need to take into account donating your system to a superb trigger. MobileMuster companions with a number of charities to redistribute working, however undesirable, telephones to Australians in want, together with The Reconnect Mission, DV Secure Telephone, and GIVIT. All of those organisations assist present help and connection to susceptible Australians, together with individuals experiencing household violence, refugees, at-risk youth, and households dwelling in monetary hardship.

Commerce in your smartphone

Should you’re planning to improve to a model new system, buying and selling in your previous handset can assist save tons of on the price of a brand new cellphone. Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone every provide plan credit score to clients who commerce in eligible telephones, and producers together with Samsung and Apple additionally present trade-in reductions to clients shopping for telephones outright.

The trade-in worth of your previous cellphone will rely on the mannequin and storage measurement, plus your cellphone’s basic situation. The newer and extra premium your system, the larger your trade-in credit score is prone to be; however quantities can range between telcos and retailers, so chances are you’ll need to store round for quotes earlier than deciding. Typically, the most recent and priciest fashions can internet you as much as $900-$1,000 in trade-in credit score, however preserve an eye fixed out for particular offers: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone usually run trade-in specials when new big-name smartphones hit the market.

Should you do choose to commerce in, you’ll want to finish a web based kind assessing the situation of your undesirable system. Observe the directions on how one can ship or drop-off your previous cellphone, and simply wait in your trade-in funds to reach; when you’re buying and selling in through your present telco, you’ll most probably obtain the worth as invoice credit score. Nonetheless, you might also have the choice of directing the funds to a bank card or checking account.

Samsung clients can commerce in previous telephones when buying a brand new Galaxy system, with the trade-in worth then utilized to the price of your new cellphone. Apple’s trade-in program additionally solely applies to new purchases, though clients can go for their trade-in credit score to be acquired through an Apple Present Card.

Promote your previous cellphone

Lastly, you might be able to nab a couple of dollars in your previous cellphone by promoting it on-line. There’s a number of Aussie web sites that deal solely in previous telephones – corresponding to Mazuma, Cell Guru or Cell Monster – however as with a telco or producer trade-in, what you’ll get again will range.

Newer telephones in higher situation will internet you the most important payday; for instance, the iPhone 14 Professional Max is valued at as much as $2,000, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Extremely at as much as $1,450, and the Google Pixel 7 Professional at as much as $950. However it will rely on the situation of your cellphone, in addition to storage measurement. The excellent news is that even defective or unworking telephones might be offered via these platforms, though the worth will likely be drastically decreased.

In search of a SIM-only plan in your previous cellphone? Examine costs beneath.

Here’s a collection of postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimal of 10GB of information, listed so as of normal price, lowest to highest, then by information allowance, largest to smallest. Attempt utilizing our cell phone plan comparability device to see a variety of plans from different suppliers. This desk contains merchandise with hyperlinks to referral companions.

Here’s a collection of pay as you go plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimal of 10GB of information every month, listed so as of normal price, lowest to highest, then by information allowance, largest to smallest. If you wish to examine a bigger vary of presents from different suppliers, use our cellphone plan comparability device. This desk contains merchandise with hyperlinks to referral companions.



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