by Jennifer Tebo

Created on: April 03, 2008   Last Updated: November 09, 2009

Recycle old cell phones to save a gorilla habitat

The Buffalo Zoo teamed up with Eco-Cell, a non-profit organization, to collect and recycle old cell phones.

Eco-cell encourages organizations like the Buffalo Zoo to collect used cell phones, batteries and accessories to reduce the amount of mining for coltan, a rare metal that is used in most of these products, said Merrily Orsini a representative for Eco-Cell.

"Eco-cell strips out the rare metal coltan, because the mining of coltan is disrupting gorilla and elephant habitats," Orsini said. "Since 2005, over 70 zoos and conservation agencies from the U.S. and Canada have signed up with Eco-Cell to help save gorilla habitats," she said.

Why should consumers recycle their old cell phones?

To help the environment by recycling hazardous waste, which cell phones contain a number of hazardous substances that can seriously impact the environment.

To provide funds that will benefit animals at the Buffalo Zoo.

Eco-Cell will pay the Buffalo Zoo up to $10 for each working digital cell phone. Funds from the program will support the zoo in caring for its wild residents.

To help wildlife in the Congo. Columbite-tantalite, or coltan for short, is a dull metallic ore found in major quantities in the eastern areas of the Congo. It is used in cell phones, laptops, pagers and other electronic devices. Coltan mining is occurring illegally in protected lands all across the Congo and endangering wildlife. In order to mine the coltan, rebels have overrun Congo's national parks and are hunting the park's endangered elephants and gorillas for food.

Steve Mead, the zoo horticulturist, was doing some research on-line when he came across the Web site for Eco-Cell. Mead said he thought that the Buffalo Zoo should join in on the cell phone recycling program, so in February 2005 he signed the zoo up on the Web site of Eco-Cell.

"That was the Buffalo Zoo's first year with the cell phone recycling program and in April 2005 we turned in over 300 phones," Mead said.

Eco-Cell will strip the phones that are not reusable and recycle the elements, such as copper wire and coltan, Mead said. Phones that are still usable Eco-Cell will donate to homeless shelters, third world countries and other places that cannot afford them, and can get fundamental use out of them, he said.

Donna Fernandes, president and CEO of the zoo, said it is estimated that more than 500 million cell phones will be out of use in the United States by the end of this year. And it is estimated that the average cell phone life is about a year, because consumers usually buy a new one or upgrade after a year, she said.

Michael Everett, 24, a resident of Buffalo, said that he has two old cell phones sitting at home for the past two years that he does not use anymore.

"I wish I knew about a program like this sooner, I would have donated my phones already. Now that I know where I can donate my phone and it will go towards something that is important I'm going to donate my old phones to the zoo," Everett said.

Fernandes said that guests can drop their old cell phones off at the Parkside admissions gate of the zoo.

"This program is benefiting the zoo, as well as habitats for gorillas in the wild, and the zoo is always happy to get involved in the protection of the environment," Fernandes said.

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