However It Dies – There’s Still Life: Mobilemuster Turns ‘Phone Deaths’ Into A Spring Cleaning Challenge
Unmissable Mobilemuster Installations Put Phone ‘Funeral’ Stories Front And Centre
By Julius Ewudo, Cyber Era NG ASEAN Region Representative
From the phone that went for a swim and ended up in the belly of a clam shell, to the one that tumbled through a washing machine spin cycle, to the handset flattened under a pair of glittering disco boots — we’ve all got a story about how our device met its untimely end.
This spring, Australia’s official mobile phone recycling programme, MobileMuster, is launching its bold “However It Dies” campaign to get Australians recycling the almost 13 million ‘dead’ mobiles gathering dust at home – just in time for spring cleaning season.
Research shows just over one-in-three Australians currently have at least one non-working mobile phone in their homes, yet many don’t know how or why to recycle them. Whether a phone met its fate underwater, in the laundry, on the dancefloor, or simply faded away in a drawer, 96 per cent of its materials – including precious metals and plastics – can be recovered and repurposed into new products, keeping them out of landfill and in the circular economy.
To bring the message to life, three large-scale, interactive installations have been unveiled in high-traffic Sydney locations, each reimagining these everyday disasters as larger-than-life artworks — a glowing ocean scene with a cracked handset nestled inside a clam; a front-loader washing machine with a lonely sock marking the crime scene; and a sparkling disco setup where sequined boots trample a pile of old mobiles under shimmering lights.
Head of Operations at AMTA / MobileMuster, David Robb said: “Almost 13 million mobiles are sitting idle in homes across Australia. Whether it’s cracked, drowned, or run over in the driveway it can still be put to work again through recycling. We’ve all got at least one ‘phone death’ story. The ‘However It Dies’ campaign turns those mishaps into a moment to act. The installations aren’t just memorable — they’re a reminder that spring cleaning isn’t complete until your old tech is dealt with the right way.”
MobileMuster offers thousands of drop-off points nationwide through participating Telstra, Optus and Vodafone stores, local councils and retailers. Phones can also be recycled via reply post labels and free mailing satchels, available from participating outlets or ordered online.
