The number of old mobile phones cluttering up Australian homes has reached a whopping 25.5 million handsets, of which four million are broken and no longer even working.
Consumer smartphone saturation and hoarding behaviour in Aussies has created what e-waste experts are calling a ‘critical mass’ of mobile phone clutter, as they call for more education around recycling.
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“With the number of hoarded mobile phones for the first time ever surpassing the Australian population figure, we want people to start thinking about the environmental benefits of recycling their old mobiles,” Spyro Kalos, Recycling Manager at smartphone recycling service MobileMuster says.
“Think of your mobile as a miniature mine, with 95 per cent of the materials and precious minerals from recycled phones being recovered and put back into the supply chain”.
De-cluttering expert Peter Walsh says “When a home is overrun with clutter it robs us emotionally, financially, socially as well as disrupting the peace and calm in our own homes. To relieve stress and anxiety one of the easiest things Australians can do is to de-clutter — starting first and foremost with their old mobile phones.”
I, for one, can understand the tendency to hold on to things. As someone who lived below the poverty line for most of my adult life the idea that something may come in handy is a strong feeling to let go of. Peter has some words of motivation for those of you just like me.
“So, dig up your mobile phone graveyard and recycle your old phones, cords and accessories that will only give you a headache, trip you up and create a tangled mess in your life. Now is the perfect time for hoarders to come clean”, he says.
Are you a phone hoarder? How many do you have in your home? Let us know in the comments below!