Aussies told: turn old phones into trees

SYDNEY - Recycle your mobile, save a koala.

That's the message behind this year's Old Phones More Trees campaign, which encourages people to recycle their old phones at mobile retail stores during May.

The campaign is a joint initiative of the phone industry's recycling program MobileMuster and Landcare Australia.

One native trees is planted for each mobile phone handed in during the month until World Environment Day on June 5.

This year it will support the Koaladoors Project by planting native trees in the Framlingham Forest, which was savaged by bushfires in January 2006.

The MobileMuster recycling program also recovers the metals and plastic in mobile phones to create jewellery, plastic fence posts and stainless steel products.

Landcare Australia CEO Brian Scarsbrick said the campaign, now in its third year, had planted more than 175,000 native trees in areas around the country.

"I encourage everyone to play a part in the future of our local environment and wildlife and hand in their old mobile phones, batteries and accessories for recycling. Every mobile phone will count," Mr Scarsbrick said in a statement.

Old phones and accessories can be recycled for free at any one of MobileMuster's 3500 drop-off points across Australia.

- AAP