Out of 100 Zoos, the Louisville Zoo was listed as the No. 1 zoo in the United States for cell phone recycling efforts in 2007 and No. 2 in North America just behind Toronto Zoo.

Recycling and conservation are vital to our planet, Louisville Zoo Director John Walczak said. And the simple act of dropping off your old cell phone at our Zoo is a way to help the environment while at the same time helping to save the worlds precious gorillas.

Cell phones contain a metallic ore called Coltan, a mineral that is refined into a heat-resistant powder that holds an electrical charge. The powder, which regulates voltage and stores energy, is essential for coating components of cell phones and other modern devices such as laptops, pagers and PDAs. Coltan is found in the Congo of central Africa, home to endangered lowland gorillas. Forest habitats are being cleared and gorillas, along with other rare animals, are being killed for bushmeata negative side industry of ore mining. The United Nations has reported that in the past five years, the eastern lowland gorilla population in the Congo has declined 90 percent because of these destructive activities. By reducing the demand for Coltan, gorillas and their habitats will be saved.

When we first started recycling cell phones in 2003, we learned about the Coltan and gorilla issue from the Louisville Zoo and decided to make the conservation of gorillas and wildlife the thrust of our program as a result, said Eric Ronay, president of ECO-CELL, which is headquartered in Louisville. Needless to say, they were our very first partner and they have made a tremendous impact on our organization. In turn, every decision we make regarding our environmental practices is guided by the standards set by the Louisville Zoo and our many Association of Zoos and Aquariums partners. Partnering with zoos is business logic, since millions of people visit North American zoos annually. We set up a collection point at the front gate of those zoos and just invite the public to bring in their old cell phones.

In 2007, ECO-CELL diverted 4,000 pounds of toxic cell phone batteries, 33,000 cell phones and 4,000 pounds of cell phone accessories from landfills. The Louisville Zoo helped in that effort by collecting 3,051 cell phones from visitors who donated their old phones by dropping them in a designated container at the Zoos entrance.

ECO-CELL recycles phones that are deemed /files/storyimages/of life, and reuses other phones by either providing them to charities for emergency 911 uses or reselling them to refurbishers who in turn sell them to emerging markets where the cost of a new cell phone is often restrictive.

ECO-CELL gives the Zoo anywhere from 45 cents to $15 per phone donated, depending on the type. This money helps support the Zoos conservation programs. Since 2003, ECO-CELL has given the Louisville Zoo close to $13,000.

The Louisville Zoo has always been a leader in conservation and preservation issues, said Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson. Its appropriate that the Zoo would be at the forefront of this recycling effort, and I am pleased that their efforts have been recognized as among the best in the country.

So, if you have an old cell phone lying aroundmaybe you got a new one for Christmasbring it to the Louisville Zoo and help save a gorilla! Just make sure your service is disconnected and your phone is cleared of all its data. Then drop it off at the Zoo (there is a designated cell phone donation box at the Zoos entrance). Organizations and groups are also encouraged to collect old cell phones and bring them to the Zoo for donation.