MobileMuster, the telecommunications industry’s flagship product stewardship program, has announced hardware manufacturer TP-Link as the latest business to join the expanding program, which collects and recycles a broad range of end-of-life telecommunications e-waste products.
The new membership will see TP-Link, a global provider of reliable networking devices and accessories including wireless routers and adapters, join existing MobileMuster members who are playing an active role in addressing the growing electronic waste issue.
Run by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA), MobileMuster in July announced the expansion of its product stewardship scheme beyond mobile phones, to now include three new, growing e-waste product streams including network connectivity, smart home technology, and wearables and peripherals.
Spyro Kalos, Head of MobileMuster, said with Australia currently ranked fifth in the world[1] for generation of electronic waste per capita, the expansion of the program to enable more unwanted devices to be recycled in the right way was essential.
“Expanding the scope of products collected and recycled through MobileMuster will further demonstrate how industry can work together to deliver measurable social and environmental outcomes that benefit the local economy and consumers.
“MobileMuster’s aim is to play a genuine role in creating a more sustainable circular economy through product stewardship, and we are delighted to have TP-Link join our other members in demonstrating leadership and action through their commitment to a more sustainable future.
Neville Wang, Managing Director of TP-Link, said “As our connected lifestyles continue to evolve and consumers seek new and improved devices, TP-Link continues to expand our product offering to anticipate and meet the demands of tomorrow.
“At the same time, we are very conscious of the growing e-waste issue globally, and recognise we have a crucial role to play in minimising the impact of those devices on the environment over the long term.
“TP-Link’s business values are well aligned to the sustainable e-waste solution that MobileMuster provides. We encourage more businesses to follow suit and join the program to keep more electronic devices out of landfill.”
MobileMuster is the only voluntary government accredited electronic product stewardship scheme in Australia and provides a complete e-waste solution to address the environmental, health and safety impacts of telecommunication products across their full life cycle. The program is funded by members including the major handset manufacturers and network carriers alongside a growing number of other electronic hardware manufacturers.
[1] https://www.itu.int/hub/publication/d-gen-e_waste-01-2020/