A gorilla at the Franklin Park Zoo. Photo: Courtesy of New England Zoo
STONEHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — New England Zoo is tallying up the proceeds from the annual Gorillas On the Line campaign, which encourages zoo-goers to recycle their cellphones and other devices to maintain wild gorilla habitats.
New England Zoo collected over 300 pounds of small electronic devices through donations received at Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo, as well as 30 other recycling partners.
The nationwide campaign partners with zoos and aquariums around the country, and this year the campaign collectively received over 18,500 recycled electronic devices and fundraised more than $12,000. The funds go toward supporting habitat protection and the growth of healthy gorillas in the wild.
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Along with cell phones, accepted donations include iPads, iPods, tablets, Apple watches, adapters, chargers and handheld gaming systems.
All these devices share a common material: coltan. It’s a natural rock used to make devices energy efficient and it’s primarily found in the Congo, the home of many endangered gorillas and chimpanzees.
When coltan is mined, it can greatly impact gorillas’ habitats. According to Eco-Cell, New England Zoo’s partner in the project, the eastern lowland gorilla population in the Congo has decreased 90% over the last five years because of coltan mining.
The campaign encourages people to keep using their cellphone for much longer before buying a new one, and recycling their old one when it’s time. The recycled phones can be repurposed or broken down for parts, ideally decreasing the need for mined coltan.
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