Answer the call of the wild and recycle your cell phone to help save African wildlife!
The Racine Zoo is answering the call by launching a cell phone recycling program in partnership with Eco-Cell. Reuse is the best form of recycling, but when you no longer have use for your cell phone, or it becomes obsolete, recycling it is the next best thing!
How does recycling your cell phone help save African wildlife?
First of all, electronics have a big impact on our environment, and are not being produced or used in an ethical manner. It takes a lot of energy and resources to produce electronics, frequently minerals or metals are used, some of which are mined in critical habitat.
Recycling your phone in a safe manner keeps things out of landfills and recycles them for reuse, reducing demand for the materials that are mined in critical habitats.
For example, compact electronics such as cell phones contain an ore called Coltan. Coltan is mined in the second largest area of rainforest in the world, located in endangered gorilla habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mining threatens or destroys the habitat for the gorillas as well as several thousands of other plants and animals living there in various ways.
Forests are cleared out, roads are built throughout the habitat, mining activities and pollutants disturb the animals and their habitat. Furthermore, poachers gain easier access to areas where the animals live, as well as expose them to human diseases they don’t have the immunity for.
Eco-cell is an electronics recycling company, with the goal of reducing electronics waste, and conserve species. They find use for phones that can still be used and recycle the rest, keeping everything out of landfills and reducing the demand for Coltan.
Device Drop-Off:
Racine Zoo Gift Shop
2131 N Main Street
Racine, WI 53402
Check our operating hours here.
Devices they accept: “We don’t care if they are broken, old, locked or bedazzled.” –Eco-cell
Cell phones, smartphones, digital music players such as mp3 players and Ipods, Ipads, and tablets. They also accept the chargers, adapters and accessories that come with them.
Erase personal data from your devices:
If you need help, ask your service provider or do a web search for factory reset (type in your phone model, such as Iphone), and also remember to discontinue service on your devices.
Join the cause!
If your school, business, scout group or other organization would like to join the cause and collect cell phones at your location, or if you need more information or marketing material check out:
https://www.facebook.com/ecocell/
or print out our flyer and share here!
