Our friends at LESS WASTE – Warkworth and Wellsford are now offering a FREE drop-off service for old cellphones!

We absolutely love product stewardship schemes, especially when they support amazing charities. Thanks to RE:MOBILE NZ, you can now drop off your old cellphones at LESS WASTE locations in Warkworth and Wellsford for free! The Mobile Phone Recycling Scheme grades your old phones, wipes or destroys any data and SIM cards, refurbishes them, and resells them to those in need of basic devices. The profits from these sales are donated to Sustainable Coastlines, supporting their mission to reduce coastline litter by 60% by 2030.

So far, over 30 tonnes of phones have been recycled, keeping them out of landfills thanks to the RE:MOBILE initiative. Take your clunky old bricks or smartphones that have bitten the dust to LESS WASTE! The free drop box is located at the pay station as you enter through the main gate.

Why Recycle Your Phone?

- Environmental Protection:** Mobile phones that end up in landfills can release harmful substances into the surrounding land and waterways. Recycling your phone helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent hazardous material buildup.

- Supporting a Circular Economy:** Mobile phones contain valuable materials like gold, silver, and other precious metals. Recycling allows these resources to be reused, minimising the need for new materials.

- Safe Disposal of Lithium-Ion Batteries:** Phones contain lithium-ion batteries, which can cause fires if they end up in landfills. Recycling ensures these batteries are disposed of safely.

- Raising Money for a Great Cause:** For every phone recycled through RE:MOBILE, donations are made to Sustainable Coastlines, a New Zealand charity focused on reducing plastic pollution and litter. So far, they’ve removed over 1.7 million litres of litter from our coastlines!

- Extending the Life of Phones:** If your phone still works and is in good condition, it can be refurbished and resold, reducing demand for new handsets and lowering the environmental impact of manufacturing.

What’s Inside Your Mobile Phone?

Aside from your SIM card, your phone is packed with valuable materials like gold, silver, palladium, and platinum. Although each phone contains only small amounts, it adds up when you consider that there are an estimated 7 billion mobile phones in use worldwide! Nearly all the components of your phone can be recycled and used to make new devices.

Did You Know?

It’s estimated that 4,000 tonnes of silver, 380 tonnes of gold, and 200,000 tonnes of copper are trapped in unused mobile phones worldwide!

How to Recycle Your Phone with RE:MOBILE

1. Drop it off at any 2degrees, Spark, or one.nz retail store, or one of our other collection points.

2. Post or courier it directly to RE:MOBILE using one of their addresses.

Recycling your phone is easy, good for the environment, and supports a fantastic cause. So, take your old phones to LESS WASTE or one of the other drop off points and help make a difference today!