Cell Phone Recycling at the Zoo
Bring your old cell phone to the Bergen County Zoo for recycling. Many
of us have old cell phones cluttering up desk drawers and closets. In
fact, it is estimated that there are over 500 million cell phones out
of use in the United States. The Bergen County Zoo has partnered with
Eco-Cell, an environmentally friendly company that recycles old cell phones.
Old cell phones should never be thrown into the trash. First, some of
those phones are still usable. In fact, Eco-cell is able to reuse approximately
80% of the phones it receives. Those phones are then made available to
individuals in need for varying purposes, such as emergency 911 phones.
The more of these phones we can re-use, the fewer new ones will have to
be manufactured. Second, there are metals in the batteries and bodies
of cell phones that are hazardous to the environment. When they are thrown
out, the phones end up in a landfill and these metals leach into the soil
and groundwater. Third, the metals in the phones and batteries are mined
in some extremely sensitive habitats, primarily in the Congo, causing
extreme habitat loss for many species of wildlife.
Eco-Cell pays the Bergen County Zoo up to $15 for each working cell phone
and recycles those phones that can't be re-used. The funds are used to
support the animal care programs at the zoo. So, dig out those old phones
and drop them off at the zoo - it's a great example of one small action
having far-reaching implications!