Recycling mobiles a mammoth task

AUSTRALIANS are hoarding more than 22 million unwanted mobile phones despite a national service that will recycle the old handsets free of charge.

But the scheme, funded by the mobile phone industry, cannot afford to recycle them all and a prominent environmentalist has accused the group of failing to do as much as it should to collect and reuse the massive stockpile.

The recycling program, Mobile Muster, is run by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association and is funded by handset levies paid by phone makers and the country's four major telcos.
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How to recycle your old mobile phone:
First of all it's best to use it as long as possible, most discarded mobile phones are still in perfect order. And if you buy a new mobile give your old one to someone else who will use it.
If there is nobody who wants your phone recycle it:

-- COLLECT a reply-paid Mobile Muster satchel at Australia Post
-- DOWNLOAD and print a shipping label from mobilemuster.com.au
-- DOWNLOAD and print a shipping label from apple.com/au/recycling
-- DROP YOUR OLD PHONE off at a collection point listed at mobilemuster.com.au

I just tried it and it gives me 8 places where I can bring my old mobile if I want to recycle it within 1 or 2 km from my home. But they won't get my old Siemens yet, it's 9 years old and still working perfectly for where I need a mobile for: calls and texts!