Recycling Cell Phones While Raising Funds For Zoos

August 2005 – By the end of 2005, about 130 million cell phones will be discarded annually in the U.S. - with 75 percent going to landfills. Now a Louisville, Kentucky company called ECO-CELL is partnering with zoos across North America to raise funds for their conservation programs while protecting the environment. The idea is for people to take old cell phones to collection boxes at the zoo which then sends them to ECO-CELL where they will be refurbished and sold to low income, first-time users in Latin America. Currently, ECO-CELL is reported to be working with 300 organizations - including 30 zoos from Denver and Philadelphia to Phoenix and Cleveland. For more information, visit: www.eco-cell.org.