Throughout the summer, the National Aviary is partnering with ECO-CELL, an organization that recycles electronic items smaller than a laptop in order to reduce the demand for coltan and coltan mining. Coltan, a mineral mined across the African continent, is an essential component in many electronics, including smartphones.
Coltan mining operations vary, and unfortunately some are associated with unethical practices that affect humans and have serious environmental impacts. Coltan recycling can help reduce the need to mine for new minerals.
ECO-CELL has recycled over 700,000 cell phones since 2002. An ECO-CELL recycling box is located at the entrance of our Tropical Rainforest habitat. Before you bring any small electronic items to recycle, be sure to clear personal data from the device. The National Aviary is not responsible for personal information stored on devices.
