Second Life Sounds

Australia is facing a mounting e-waste problem. Our e-waste production is already triple the global average and projections indicate that by 2030, we'll be producing 657,000 tonnes of e-waste every year1. That's roughly the weight of 12 Sydney Harbour Bridges2 or 19,000 Melbourne trams3.

While those numbers are vast, the problem is deeply personal. Australians hold onto an average of three unused devices each - around 65 million devices sitting idle in homes across the country4.

So, to inspire the nation to give their old devices a second life, we've partnered with ARIA-award winning electronic duo The Avalanches, globally renowned for their sample-driven sound, repurposing fragments of vintage records, tapes and found audio into innovative, intricately layered compositions that have defined their distinctive place in contemporary electronic music and pop culture.

The Avalanches have helped us create a brand-new, fully functioning synthesiser, made up of over 80% repurposed components from e-waste, such as mobile phones, gaming consoles and old electronic cables.

"We wanted to show that e-waste can be repurposed into something that people can relate to universally. Through music, we have tried to demonstrate the amazing link between sustainability and creativity."

Robbie Chater, The Avalanches

The initiative, Second Life Sounds, marks a new ambition for Telstra, all centred around one goal - to re-use, recycle, repair, or donate one smart device for every two devices sold, by 2030 and symbolises the enormous, untapped potential that e-waste has to be repurposed for different uses.

What is e-waste and why is it a problem you say?
E-waste, or electronic waste, is basically all the old electronics we don't use anymore, like broken phones, tablets, modems and chargers. Instead of tossing them in the trash, they need special recycling because they're full of stuff that can harm the environment, but they also contain valuable materials we can reuse.

Addressing the 20 kg elephant in the room
According to the Australian Government's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), each Australian produces around 20 kg of e-waste every year – compared with the global average of just 7 kg per person, the scale of Australia's e-waste problem is hard to ignore.

Sadly, much of our e-waste is sitting forgotten in drawers, cupboards or garages, or worse, thrown away incorrectly. In many homes, these devices haven't just been set aside recently: 4.9 million Australians say their oldest unused device is more than 10 years old5.

Part of the reason e-waste builds up isn't practical - it's human. Nearly three in ten Australians (29%) keep unused electronics "just in case", while a similar number (27%) hang onto devices for sentimental reasons or the memories attached to them, meaning old tech often lingers long after it has stopped being useful6.