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To our Conservation Partners and Fundraisers:
As I know you are too, we are experiencing the effects of the economic downturn in a much more palpable way than we were just a month ago. The sales of everything (including used cell phones) has slowed significantly due to the frozen credit markets. In hopes of not having to drastically lower the payout value of the nicer phones, we are making some minor changes to the way in which we do business. We have a strategy for trying to keep the values up, and one part of that strategy involves slightly modifying are fundraiser payment schedule. We are moving to a system in which you will be paid, not necessarily at the end of the month, but within 45 days of receipt of the phones.
A payment schedule will be as follows: If we receive phones between the 1st and the 15th of the month, we will issue a check to you on the 15th of the following month. If we receive phones from the 16th thru the end of the month, we will issue a check to you at the end of the following month.
Examples:
Phones received on 10/19/08. Check mailed on 11/30/08.
Phones received on 11/14/08. Check mailed on 12/15/08.
We will keep you posted as we weather this economic storm, and as always, we appreciate any feedback or questions you might have. We want to do our best to accommodate you organization and its needs, and we hope this minor change will allow us to continue to do just that. |
| We appreciate your trust, your business, and your continuing commitment to the environment.
Sincerely,
Eric and Lindsey Ronay
ECO-CELL |
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Silverback Partners to Get New Perks
 Doing the next right thing just got easier!
As many of our participants know, any conservation partner who sends us 1,000 phones total (no time limits) is granted Silverback status. Silverbacks enjoy certain benefits for as long as they participate in ECO-CELL's program. Those benefits include: Up to $15.00 per phone Minimum paid per phone is $.45 (No more $0 value phones) Free, customized cell phone collection boxes Now, there will be even more incentive to reach that 1,000 mark! ECO-CELL's website will undergo some changes to allow people and companies signing up with ECO-Cell to do a service project and make one of the the Silverback charities the beneficiary of their collection efforts. After phone shipments are sent in, both the collector and the beneficiary will be sent statements regarding the collection and the money will be mailed directly to the chosen Silverback charity.
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ECO-CELL Proceeds Put to Good Use for Children in Tanzania  Dear Laban:
I have some wondeful news! A group of students from a geography class taught by my professor at Penn State University, raised $1000.00 USD by collecting and recycling old cell phones. The students are very interested in using these funds to help disadvantaged youth in Mwanza, and when I told my professor about DEFESCO, she agreed that it would be a great organization to support.
I have the information about donations that you provided me with this summer, so we will wire the money to DEFESCO in the next couple of days.
The class also has a website about this fundraising project, and I will post some information about DEFESCO there so that people who are interested can learn more about the organization.
It is really exciting for us to be able to do this for such a great organization. I'm so glad I got to meet you and visit DEFESCO when I was in Mwanza. I hope all is well there, and I will talk to you soon!
--Maureen (Penn State University)
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Hallo Maureen,
This is not only good news but it is also Great News! I was very right from the start to put all my faith, hope and trust on you as you looked worth depending upon.
Yes, this is the greatest help we have ever received and I am being very optimistic that it is a good beginning. We sang songs of praise after I narrated the good news to the rest.
Let me hope to hear from you soon. Pass my regards and appreciation all.
--Laban (Mwanza, Tanzania)
http://www.defesco.blogspot.com
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How does ECO-CELL compare with the other cell phone recycling companies?
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ECO-CELL |
Other Programs |
Environment First
Strict NO LANDFILL Program for all items collected. This includes extra batteries, chargers, accessories, etc. |
Environment Last
LANDFILL cell phones, batteries and accessories that cannot be resold. |
Accepts all cell phones, extra batteries and accessories regardless of age or condition.
Offers simple program that pays up to $15.00 for each cell phone collected. Pays its fundraisers based on a monthly auction conducted with multiple buyers for phones collected. This enables ECO-CELL to find buyers for a large variety of cell phones and pay more for mid to low end phones (the types that are usually collected.) |
Only want very specific high end phones.
Do not accept accessories, extra batteries. Uses misleading price lists that promise up to $300 per phone. (These types of phones are rarely if ever collected). Phones must work to qualify for payment indicated on price lists |
Free shipping for all collections regardless of quantity.
No inventory or special packing required. |
Free shipping?
Think again. To qualify for "free shipping" fundraisers must inventory collection, pack phones for shipment in a certain way and meet a minimum number of phones. |
User friendly, and lots of personalized attention.
Let ECO-CELL do the work! We'll even provide you with ideas on how your particular program can promote collection. Provides fundraisers with professional marketing materials, collection boxes & ewsletter updates (find out how others are collecting.) |
Little personal attention
Press 1 for sales, Press 2 for service, Press 3..." (You know the drill.) |
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Bright Idea 
Ask small businesses in your community to collect for your cause!
For example, coffee shops are great places for collection boxes as they tend to have a regular clientele and be community meeting places. |
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ECO-TIP
Three Ways To Decrease Your Carbon Foot Print and Save $$
There are three ways you can quickly and easily reduce your carbon footprint, i.e. reduce your CO2 emissions. Help stop global warming and save you money.
1. Change your thermostat by two degrees
Decrease In Your Carbon Footprint: 2,000 pounds of CO2 emissions
Annual dollar savings: $98
Because space heating and cooling takes such a tremendous amount of energy, just this slight change helps reduce your global warming impact more than you might think. During the hot months, turn the thermostat up two degrees and in the cold months, turn it down two degrees.
2. Set your hot water temperature to 120°F or below
Decrease In Your Carbon Footprint: 500 pounds of CO2 emissions
Annual dollar savings: $30
When shipped, water heaters are typically set to 140°F. However, most households' needs can still be met after decreasing this setting to 120°F or lower.
3. Only run your dishwasher when it is full
Decrease In Your Carbon Footprint: 200 pounds of CO2 emissions
Annual dollar savings: $40
Also, it is important to remember to use the machine's energy-saving setting for drying dishes and to not use heat to dry them.
Total Decrease In Your Carbon Footprint: 2,700 pounds of CO2 emissions
Total annual dollar savings: $168. This quantity of carbon dioxide emissions is roughly equivalent to what would be saved by driving a compact car 4,000 fewer miles each year.
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ECO-CELL Silverbacks
- AAZK-Lion County Safari Chapter
- ADCOMM
- Alley Cat Advocates
- American Legion Nassau County
- American Legion Post 25
- Bluegrass Pride
- Calgary Zoo
- Cincinnati Zoo
- City of Laval
- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
- Commonwealth Credit Union
- Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
- DEFESCO
- Denver Zoological Association
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Foundation International
- Future Farmers of America-Missouri
- Fossil Rim Wildlife Ctr.
- The Foundation for Retinal Research
- Friends of the National Zoo
- Goodwill Bluegrass
- Goodwill Indiana
- Goodwill Louisville
- Great Ape Trust of Iowa
- Happy Hollow Zoo
- Henry Vilas Zoo
- John Snyder (OH)
- Lion Country Safari
- Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
- Louisville Zoo
- Daughters of the Amerian Revolution- Olathe Chapter
- Orangutan Conservancy
- Oregon Zoo
- Philadelphia Zoo Docent Council
- Phoenix Zoo
- San Diego Zoo
- Santa Barbara Zoo
- SB CEO
- St. Joseph Children's Home
- Suncoast Textile Recycling Corp
- Tents of Hope
- Toronto Zoo
- Tulsa Zoo Friends
- TWIGS of Kosair
- Wildlife Waystation
- Zoo Boise
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New Humanitarian Efforts
Humanitarian programs are finding out that ECO-CELL is a good fit for their fundraising needs. In addition to the many conservation programs that use ECO-CELL, more and more humanitarian efforts are getting on board. Some of the newer programs are a Darfur advocacy initiative that involves The Save Darfur Coalition( http://www.savedarfur.org) STAND, The Student-led Division of Genocide Intervention Network ( http://www.standnow.org) and Tents of Hope ( http://www.tentsofhope.org) and EMBRACE AIDS (http://crcna.org/pages/crwrc_aids.cfm a program for AIDS education and relief sponsored by the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee.  | |
