Summary
About the Ask
There are an estimated 23 million mobile phones sitting unused in drawers and garages all over Australia, plus tablets and laptops that have broken or been put aside in favour of a newer model. With a simple repair, secure erasure of data and an overall clean, these devices are ready for (re)connecting people to family, friends and essential services, and help close the digital divide in Australia. A clean, untracked mobile phone is essential for
- A woman fleeing family violence. A person in transitional housing needs a way to be contacted by support services.
- A refugee in detention, a mobile phone provides connection to the world.
- A young person without access to a computer can use a tablet or a laptop for completing studies or applying for work.
If you’ve got devices to donate, that’s great! We accept all makes and models of mobile phones and tablets, regardless of their age or condition; and laptops that are less than 10 years old.
Before donating your device, it’s best if you can remove your personal information by performing a factory reset. This will remove all iCloud or Google account information. You can find instructions here on the Mobile Muster website.
Once we receive your device, it enters our triage process where our volunteers assess it’s functionality and work out what spare parts we may need to purchase. Our chief wizard (mobile device repair technician) will then repair the device and we can now undertake a secure erase process using Blancco software, the global leader in end of life solutions for technology. If required, we can provide a Certificate of Erasure for your device.
In the instance that the device cannot be repaired or refurbished, we’ll set it aside to use for spare parts. Any broken parts or devices that can’t be revived are sent to Mobile Muster for secure recycling, where phones are shredded and the valuable metals are extracted for recycling. Our aim is to avoid landfill at every step of our process.
You can mail in your device to us at:
The Reconnect Project
8 The Strand
Penshurst NSW 2222
or
Reply Paid 90698
The Reconnect Project
8 The Strand
Penshurst NSW 2222
Our authorised donation stations are located at:
- Cronulla: Cronulla Library, 38 – 60 Croydon Street, Cronulla
- Epping: Office of Jerome Laxale MP, 32 Beecroft Road, Epping
Hurstville: Hurstvile Library, 12 – 20 Dora Street, Hurstville
Kogarah: Kogarah Library, Kogarah Town Square, Belgrave Street, Kogarah
Marrickville: Among The Trees, 27 Sydney Street, Marrickville (Wed – Sat, 10am – 4pm) - Northbridge: Office of Tim James MP, Shop 26,145-151 Siors Bay Rd, Northbridge
Sutherland: Sutherland Shire Council Customer Service Centre, 4 – 20 Eton Street, Sutherland
