Turn your old mobile phone into water

Margaret Fay, Carmel Rice and Avis Colgrave of the Devonport Soroptimist Club.

1. Ditch

Ditch your old mobile in a WaterAid collection box or send direct it to WaterAid.

2. Donate

A donation of $5 will be made for every handset*.

3. Drink

The money will support WaterAid projects working to provide safe water for the world's poorest people to drink.

* WaterAid receives $5 for every complete GSM phone 

Donate your old mobile phone to WaterAid, call 03 9872 1800 or email watercharity@wateraid.org.au for a postage paid satchel.

The scheme

WaterAid Australia established it's mobile phone recycling scheme in 2005 in partnership with the Aussie Recycling Program (ARP).

Not only does the scheme help people dispose of their old mobile phones, it also benefits the environment and people in the developing world.

WaterAid's supporters collect phones which are then sent to ARP, with an average of $5 donated to WaterAid for each complete handset collected. The phones are then either repaired and sold in developing countries or the parts are recycled.

Port Macquarie Hastings Council employee Lyn Walsh, who promotes the scheme, says:

"We are happy to be contributing to this scheme as it helps our employees and our community members discard old mobile phones in a very easy and environmentally friendly way. More importantly, the money we raise through the scheme goes towards helping provide people with safe water, effective sanitation and hygiene education."