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.

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We don't care if your gadgets are broken, old, locked, drowned or bedazzled. 

The point is-conserve species, deter e-waste and  get in/evolved.

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ECO-CELL is geared for recycling projects, not individual buybacks. If you wish to recycle a few gadgets please drop them off at one of our drop-off locations.

PARTNERS IN ACTION!  

See our program in action at the highest profile conservation organizations on the planet and learn how they turn recycling electronics into the conservation of critically endangered species. 

CINCINNATI ZOO- Project Saving Species

Project Saving Species provides a direct way for guests and supporters to join the Zoo in making a difference by recycling cell phones. Funds raised go directly to field conservation projects across the globe, including western lowland gorilla studies in the Congo. 

JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE-Why did we choose ECO-CELL?

"Electronic recycling is a complicated industry and only a company with the right motivations and practices could align with JGI's mission to protect chimpanzees, and all great apes, as well as the environment we share."

HOUSTON ZOO- Action for Apes

The Action for Apes Challenge is a yearly contest hosted by the Houston Zoo to see which school or community organization can recycle the most cell phones. By recycling old phones with the zoo you can help protect animals like chimpanzees and gorillas that live in areas where cell phone materials are mined.

"ECO-CELL has been a supporter of the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 2012. They have donated dozens of Blackberry phones to our project, and this has significantly improved our ability to care for orphaned Grauer's gorillas. 

-Sonya Kahlenberg, Ph.D., GRACE Executive Director

Apes and Gadgets?

Electronics are connected to apes via an ore called Coltan (columbite-tantalite\tantalum).  Tantalum coats the capacitors inside gadgets which makes them energy efficient. This ore is found in great quantity in the Congo, home to the critically endangered gorilla and chimpanzee. These species are being killed by rebel bands mining Coltan. The U.N. has reported that in the past five years the eastern lowland gorilla population in the Congo has declined 90%. Recycling your cell phones with ECO-CELL helps save these animals by reducing the demand for Coltan and by providing funds for our partners like the Cincinnati Zoo, The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Intl. and the Jane Goodall Institute who are actively engaged in protecting these species.

ECO-CELL article

"When we heard of ECO-CELL we were like-that is a no brainer to collaborate with that program. Here we are talking about Coltan and now we can give people a tangible to help gorillas directly through recycling cell phones." -Ron Evans Curator of Primates, Cincinnati Zoo

Electronics done right

Electronics have a tremendous impact on the planet, more so than any other consumer product. That is because it takes a ton of energy and resources to make a gadget (a single smartphone requires 13 tons of water and 18M² of land to create!) Not to mention the extensive list of rare minerals and metals required- several of which are mined in endangered species habitats. In short,  gadgets are not being designed and consumed ethically. 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.

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FACT: 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.

The chemistry of gadgets

Electronics are incredibly complex and contain nearly all the elements on the periodic table. Notably, rare earth metals as well as silver and gold. It is estimated that the average smartphone contains 30mg of gold and 300mg of silver which can be reclaimed by recycling. 

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There are also many toxins found in gadgets. Landfilling gadgets pollutes groundwater with lead, magnesium, arsenic and antimony among others. The effects of exposure to these elements range from kidney damage and cancer to Alzheimer's disease.

Conflict Minerals

Conflict minerals are natural resources extracted in a conflict zone and sold to perpetuate fighting for profit. There are 4 main conflict resources that are essential to the creation of cell phones and they are found in great quantities in Africa. These are Gold, Tantalum (Coltan), Tungsten and Tin. Tantalum, is used in cell phones to coat capacitors which makes the devices very energy efficient. Tungsten is the material that is used to make a cell phone vibrate. Solid state electronic devices use very low voltages and currents which are easily interrupted by corrosion or tarnish at the contact points. Gold is the highly efficient conductor that can carry these tiny currents and remain free of corrosion. Tin is used for solder on circuit boards.

"Worldwide, the consumer electronics and jewelry retail industries are among the largest end-users of tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold (3TG), which they use in a wide array of products, from wedding rings to smartphones. These minerals have been linked to mass atrocities in eastern Congo through financing armed groups and state military units that have committed serious abuses like rape and abductions. For decades, activists and affected communities in Congo have called attention to these links."

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-Enough Project November 2017

About ECO-CELL

SMALL BUSINESS

ECO-CELL was founded in 2003, or as we saw it "the year of the Nokia 8310". That is when we learned about the connection between gorillas and cell phones at the Louisville Zoo. Nearly 1 MILLION cell phones later we are still at it. In short we are small, family owned and operated business in Louisville Kentucky that is 100% focused on the environment. Some days we win, some days we lose but regardless we try and keep it real.

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STRICTLY NO-LANDFILL

We reuse first and then recycle because It takes a TON of energy and resources to create an electronic device. Plus its best for the environment if we use it until it is obsolete. Once a device is determined to be "end of life" we recycle it properly with certified smelting and reclamation firms AKA "The Downstream".

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ACCESSIBLE

For real talk give us a shout at  502.565.7829 or email eric@eco-cell.com. We would LOVE to hear from you about any aspect of the program or just to chat.

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FLEXIBLE

One size does not fit all in this business. If you have an idea about the program and wish to engage us in an unconventional way we look forward to hearing how.  

Drop-Off locations

Jane Goodall Institute

1595 Spring Hill Rd. Suite 550

Vienna, VA 22182

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Jenkinson's Aquarium

300 Ocean Avenue

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742

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Kansas City Zoo

6800 Zoo Dr, Kansas City, MO 64132

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Lincoln Park Zoo

2001 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614

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Lion Country Safari

2003 Lion Country Safari Rd.

Loxahatchee, FL 33470

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Los Angeles Zoo

5333 Zoo Dr.

 Los Angeles, CA 90027

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Louisville Zoo

1100 Trevilian Way

Louisville, KY 40213

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Maryland Zoo

1 Safari Place

Baltimore, MD 21217

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Memphis Zoo

2000 Prentiss Pl

Memphis, TN 38112

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Milwaukee County Zoo

10001 W Bluemound Rd
Milwaukee, WI 53226

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Minnesota Zoo

13000 Zoo Blvd. 

Apple Valley, MN 55124

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North Carolina Zoo

4401 Zoo Pkwy

Asheboro, NC 27205

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Oakland Zoo

9777 Golf Links Rd.

Oakland, CA 94605

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Oklahoma City Zoo

2101 NE 50th St.

Oklahoma City, OK 73111