Your Old iPod Can Help Save Gorillas

Posted January 31, 2025 by Bridget Reilly

If you’re anything like me, you probably have a drawer dedicated to useless junk that you feel weird about throwing away. Remotes to nowhere, frayed chargers and tangled headphones, cracked smart phones, maybe a technicolor iPod Nano or itty-bitty Shuffle, random cords that you’ve kept “just in case” you manage to remember what they were for in the first place. This accumulation of outdated and mismatched technology is what we refer to as electronic waste, or e-waste.  

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According to the World Health Organization, e-waste is one of the fastest growing solid waste streams on the planet. When old or broken gadgets and their accessories head to the landfill (as they would if you simply threw them in the trash), harmful substances within the items can leech out into soil and waterways, negatively impacting human and ecological health. 

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But people aren’t the only ones impacted by electronics: most every modern electronic device contains a mineral called coltan, which is mined in regions across the Democratic Republic of Congo. This environmentally destructive and often dangerous process can lead to human rights violations for workers and habitat loss for Congolese wildlife, including critically endangered gorillas.  

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The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden proudly partners with EcoCell, an e-waste recycling organization dedicated to both sustainable waste practices AND gorilla conservation, to advocate for the responsible disposal of e-waste. EcoCell repurposes and safely recycles electronics, and money earned from selling reusable materials goes directly to conservation organizations working to protect gorillas in the DRC. By sending e-waste to EcoCell, you can keep harmful materials out of landfills, help reclaim precious materials and reduce mining demand, and above all else support those working directly with gorillas to ensure they continue to thrive in the wild.  

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Our Gorilla World habitat has a recycling box where you can deposit old cell phones and their accessories. If you want to clear out that junk drawer, no need to come to the Zoo—you can ship items directly to Eco-Cell! (Check out their website for more details on how.)

Get Involved

You can also team up with the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden for the 2025 Gorillas on the Line campaign to help us compete with other zoos and aquariums across the country to see who can raise the most money for gorilla conservation! 

Gorillas on the Line is an annual competition that runs through September among zoos and aquariums across the country to see who can answer the call, collect the most e-waste, and raise the most money for gorilla conservation!

Join the Zoo's Team
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Beyond recycling old gadgets, one of the most important things you can do to reduce e-waste is to be a mindful consumer. Resist the temptation to get the latest iPhone model or the newest Beats headphones. See how long you can make your devices last—it’s good for the environment AND your wallet! If enough people opt out of the consumer culture mindset that you need the latest and greatest gadgets, we can gradually reduce the demand for these electronics, therefore reducing the demand for coltan—which means healthier outcomes for people and gorillas alike. 

So get a box and start clearing out that junk drawer! I promise, you will NOT figure out where that cord belongs. Why hang onto it? Make a positive impact and de-clutter for conservation!