Cell Phone Recycling
Recycling your phone helps protect animals like gorillas, whose habitats are impacted by the mining of minerals used in small electronics.
A collection box is available at the Zoo’s main entrance! Donate your electronic device any time we’re open.
Recycle a Cell Phone – Save a Gorilla
Why is it important to recycle electronics? By recycling your cell phone you are preventing a large number of hazardous substances from entering our environment. Many of the rare minerals and metals required to develop these devices are also mined in endangered species habitats. By recycling electronics, a consumer can extend the lifetime of a gadget and provide for the reclamation of precious metals thereby reducing the need for mining in gorilla habitats.
Our Zoo and The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International are working together with ECO-CELL to recycle electronic devices, help the environment, and raise money for gorilla conservation. For each device received, a donation will be made to The Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund International, the world leader in gorilla conservation. You can deposit your used devices in the collection bin at the Zoo’s main entrance.
Want to be a community partner location? Contact us at greenteam@rwpzoo.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Zoo is not responsible for wiping any information from your phone. A factory reset is pretty easy though, and you can usually do it through your phoneβs settings menu. You can also head to Google and type in your phone model and factory reset i.e.: iPhone factory reset
Gadgets we recycle: cell phones, smartphones, iPhones, iPods, iPads, tablets, Apple\Android watches, bluetooth, tablets. GPS, MP3 players, e-readers, digital cameras, handheld gaming systems and the accessories that come with them.
ECO-CELL was founded in 2003 and is a small, family owned and operated business in Louisville Kentucky that is 100% focused on the environment. Nearly 1 MILLION cell phones later and they are still at it.
“Electronics have a tremendous impact on the planet, more so than any other consumer product. A single smartphone requires 13 tons of water and 18MΒ² of land to create! By extending the lifespan of technology using modular design and reclaiming the precious metals in gadgets we can create new markets and jobs, reduce stress on the environment, and deter toxic waste from our landfills.” ECO-CELL
It is estimated that 1.5 billion smartphones are sold worldwide annually. According to the EPA, less than 20 percent of unwanted cell phones are recycled each year. In the US alone there are more than half a billion cell phones ready for recycling, and more than 11 million phones are added to that total each month.
- ECO-CELL reuses first and then recycles because it takes a TON of energy and resources to create an electronic device. Plus, its best for the environment if they use it until it is obsolete. Once a device is determined to be “end of life” Eco-Cell recycles it properly with certified smelting and reclamation firms AKA “The Downstream”.
- Want to learn more about the program? Contact them at 502.565.7829 or email eric@eco-cell.com.
Roger Williams Park Zoo’s cell phone recycling program is an employee led Green Team initiative. We are collecting used electronics – like cell phones and tablets – to send to ECO-CELL, a small company in Louisville, KY, that is committed to collecting rare metals in cell phones for recycling in order to protect gorilla habitats.
This program is in partnership with The Providence Office of Sustainability and other community organizations to provide electronics recycling bins throughout the city.