We wish you PEACE and JOY for this holiday season and 2009.
With gratitude,
Eric & Lindsey Ronay |
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Important Program Updates
Please take note of these important program updates:
- Shipping company switch - As some of you know, DHL is closing all domestic operations. Thankfully, ECO-CELL uses a third-party shipper Worldwide Express that will ease our transition to UPS. Effective immediately, please contact Eric for new shipping labels. When you are ready to ship, call Worldwide Express to arrange for pickup. Their toll free number is 888-852-9939.
- ECO-CELL hits the Facebook cyber scene - For you social networkers, we have started a ECO-CELL group on Facebook. This is a good way to spread the word about the program, network with other ECO-partners, get and share tips about collecting, and offer input on how we can better serve you. Check out or join our new Facebook page here!
- Payment is net 45 - This is just a reminder that we have moved to a new payment system. You will receive your payment within 45 days of our processing your phones. If you have questions or concerns about your payment, feel free to contact us at any time.
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ECO-CELL Partners with STAND to Help Darfur 
It's amazing what you can save when you recycle. Student leaders around the country belonging to STAND, the student-led division of the Genocide Intervention Network, are doing just that...taking a stand for Darfur. Partnering with ECO-CELL, STAND has recently launched a nationwide campaign to encourage students to recycle old, unused cell phones to raise funds for Darfur.
College and high school campuses nationwide will be hosting cell phone recycling drives to raise funds for these great causes, which in turn will raise awareness for the crisis in Darfur.
Participating in the ECO-CELL/STAND cell phone recycling initiative is a truly unique way to raise awareness about the ongoing atrocities in Darfur as well as advocate and raise money for the people of Darfur while taking care of the environment at the same time. The campaign is simple; collect and turn in any old, unused cell phones at a designated ECO-CELL recycling location. Proceeds will be donated to the Genocide Intervention Network.
"In the fight against genocide, students have shown amazing leadership and creativity, and this is another example of that. ECO-CELL is helping STAND chapters build the political will to stop genocide while raising funds for national advocacy campaigns and civilian protection programs on the ground in Darfur," said Nick Gaw, STAND's Student Director and a senior at Swarthmore College.
According to Eric Ronay, President of ECO-CELL, "Students are the perfect activists to be working on this initiative. Not only are they a passionate and committed group, but will have access to old or extra, unused phones since cell phones are most young people's primary mode of communication. We are really very excited to see what the STAND chapters will do with this fundraising challenge. Students will not only be helping a worthy cause in Darfur, but also be doing something good for the environment."
Click here for more information on the STAND/ECO-CELL partnership and program. |
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ECO-CELL Provides Cell Phones and T-Shirts to Rangers in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo 
Virunga National Park: A World Heritage Site in Peril
Virunga is truly the crown jewel of Africa's national parks. The park contains over 50% of sub-Saharan Africa's biodiversity and is home to 380 of the earth's last 720 critically endangered mountain gorillas. Virunga is also the second oldest national park in the world, behind only Yellowstone. Despite this, the forests and amazing animals of the park, most notably the mountain gorilla, are in a desperate fight for their survival.
If you have watched CNN's Anderson Cooper or read National Geographic, then you're probably familiar with many of the key contributors to the efforts to save the mountain gorilla, such as Innocent, Diddy, Augustin, and Norbert - to name just a few. Emmanuel de Merode was appointed Chief Warden of the park in August 2008 and continues the fight. 
Last month we worked with Samantha Newport, head of communications for Virunga, to provide the rangers with cell phones for communications. We are grateful that we could contribute in this small way to help with their important conservation mission. Right is a picture of Diddy sporting an ECO-CELL t-shirt. Diddy is in charge of tourism for the Southern Sector of Virunga National Park.
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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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We want your feedback!
We want to support your conservation and fundraising efforts!  Please email us with any concerns or suggestions. Eric or Lindsey will get back to you quickly.
Also feel free to contact us if you want suggestions about how to boost your collection numbers. | |
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ECO-Tips for the Holidays
1. GET A LIVE TREE! Believe it or not, a live tree is actually a relatively eco-friendly choice, so long as you're conscious about where it goes once the holidays are over. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, nearly all cut holiday trees are grown on tree farms - meaning their stock is replenished yearly and forests aren't hurt by choosing a cut tree. Go to earth911.org and enter your ZIP code to find out where to have your tree recycled.
Fake trees are a different story, requiring a significant amount of energy and petroleum-based materials to manufacture. Plus, artificial trees are often manufactured overseas and shipped thousands of miles before they reach our living rooms.
2. BE BRIGHT! Instead of buying more standard holiday lights to replace bad strings, opt for energy-efficient light strings. When they're made using light-emitting diode bulbs, LEDs, they're 90% more efficient than traditional holiday lights. LEDs also last longer - up to 10,000 hours compared with 5,000 hours for standard incandescent bulbs.
3. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE This tip is an oldy but a goody. It just requires being a responsible consumer, user, and disposer. REDUCE - Once you have pared down your consumption, be sure to buy responsibly. Look for things made of recyled materials, things that support your local economy, things with minimal packaging, or things that help support charitable causes. (If you are an oline shopper, check out the Greater Good website for some great socially and environmentally conscious gift items and ideas.) REUSE - Be creative about how and when to reuse. What you can't reuse, reycle! Visit the EPA's Tips for Reducing Solid Waste for more information on how to conserve during the holidays and year-round.
4. BORROW FROM NATURE Think of how your grandmother or great or even great-great grandmother decorated during the holiday - with natural evergreen boughs cut from evergreen trees (holly, pine, magnolia) handmade ornaments, and bowls of fruit or pine cones. With a backdrop of seasonal poinsettias and cyclamen they create a warm, fragrant and welcoming feel - and they aren't made of petroleum and chemicals and shipped from across the world. University of Kentucky's floriculturist Sharon Bale has some great tips for holiday decorating the "green" way.
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Congratulations to our Top 5 Earners for 2008!!!
- Louisville Zoo
$8,301
- American Association of Zoo Keepers-Lion Country Safari Chapter
$2,879
- San Diego Zoo
$2,558
- Denver Zoological Association
$2,297
- Philadephia Zoo Docent Council
$2,218 |
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Look Who's a Silverback Now!
Silverbacks are partners who have collected 1,000 or more phones since joining the program. Silverbacks enjoy the following benefits for as long as they participate in ECO-CELL's program:
- Up to $15.00 per phone
- Minimum paid per phone is $.45 (No more $0 value phones)
- Free, customized cell phone collection boxes
- Special placement on ECO-CELL's website
Below is a complete list:
AAZK-Lion Country Safari
ADCOMM
Alley Cat Advocates
American Legion Nassau Co.
American Legion Post 25
Bluegrass Pride
Buffalo Zoo
Calgary Zoo
Center for Women and Families
Cincinnati Zoo
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Commonwealth Credit Union
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
Crusade for Children
Denver Zoological Association
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (Zoo Atlanta)
Future Farmers of America-Missouri 0189
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
The Foundation for Retinal Research
Friends of the National Zoo
Goodwill Bluegrass
Goodwill Indiana
Goodwill Louisville
Great Ape Trust of Iowa
The Orangutan Conservancy (Happy Hollow Zoo)
Henry Vilas Zoo
John Snyder
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
Louisville Zoo
Daughters of the American Revolution-Olathe Chapter
Oregon Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo Docent Council
Phoenix Zoo
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
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
The Zoo Northwest Florida |
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