Dear Conservation Partners,
We want to give you a quick rundown of the cell phone recycling industry with emphasis on how it relates to you, our partners. 2008 began very well for cell phone recycling in the US. This enabled ECO-CELL to pay very well for the phones received through the program. However, we noticed a decline in the prices we got for our resale phones starting in June of 2008. This price decline is across the entire industry. That said, 2009 is going to be challenging. We are optimistic though.
In order to weather the storm and continue to pay you for your recycling efforts, we have reduced overhead as much as possible. We also have had to lower the amount we can pay our partners. This will get us by until the economy improves. Unlike other cell phone recycling companies, we will continue to take all phones of any condition as well as all accessories thus keeping harmful toxins out of the landfills. Everyone will receive between $.05 and $15 per phone (so no zero value phones). Silverback partners still receive a minimum of $.45 per phone and have access to custom collection boxes.
Rest assured that when our economy gets back on track and we see an improvement in pricing from our diverse buying community, we will increase the prices we pay you for the phones you collect. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback. We appreciate your trust, your business, and your continuing commitment to the environment. |
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Sincerely,
Eric and Lindsey Ronay
ECO-CELL |
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So Who's Game???  We are now accepting handheld gaming systems like the Nintendo DS, Gameboy and Playstation Portable. We will also accept accessories for recycling. As with cell phones, the prices we pay for these units will be based on their resale value. |
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ENOUGH! Stand up, take notice and take the Congo conflict minerals pledge.
We at ECO-CELL feel it is all of our responsibilities to be good stewards of the earth and all its people. We encourage responsible and well-informed conservation and consumption. All that we do has a consequence either negative or positive. The best way to make a positive impact is to be informed and to act out of conscience. We know our partners feel the same way.
Many of our partners are aware that the extraction of certain minerals used in cell phones and other electronics in the Congo is destroying the natural habitat of the eastern lowland gorilla thus putting it on the brink of extinction. Regrettably, there is a very human side to this story as well.
Much of the information below is excerpted from the the Raise Hope for Congo portion of the Enough Project website. The Enough Project's goal is to end genocide and crimes against humanity. What do cell phones have to do with crimes against humanity? Read on....
 The conflict in eastern Congo, the deadliest in the world since World War II, is being fueled by a multi-million dollar trade in minerals that go into our electronic products from cell phones to digital cameras. Over five million people have died as a result of the war, and hundreds of thousands of women have been raped in eastern Congo over the past decade. The armed groups that are perpetuating the violence generate an estimated $144 million each year by trading in four main minerals, the 3 Ts and gold, all of which are found in cell phones:
- Tin - used inside your cell phone and all electronic products as a solder on circuit boards. 53% of tin worldwide is used as a solder, the vast majority of which goes into electronics. Armed groups earn approximately $85 million per year from trading in tin.
- Tantalum (often called "coltan") - used to store electricity in capacitors in iPods, digital cameras, and cell phones. 65-80% of the world's tantalum is used in electronic products. Armed groups earn an estimated $8 million per year from trading in tantalum.
- Tungsten - used to make your cell phone or Blackberry vibrate. Tungsten is a growing source of income for armed groups in Congo, with armed groups currently earning approximately $2 million annually.
- Gold - used mainly in jewelry, gold is also a component in cell phones and other electronics. Extremely valuable and easy to smuggle, armed groups are earning between $44-88 million per year from gold.
"The deadly nexus between the worst violence against women in the world and the purchase of electronics products containing conflict minerals from the Congo is direct and undeniable. And it can be stopped by a combination of focused consumer pressure and enlightened government action. If women and girls are to be protected and empowered in Congo, one of the most important
priorities is to end the deadly trade in conflict minerals. Take away the fuel and the violence will be much easier to end."--John Prendergrast, "Can You Hear Congo Now? Cell Phones, Conflict Minerals, and the Worst Sexual Violence in the World"
Please see the sidebar for specific actions you can take.
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The United Nation Commends the Louisville Zoo's Cell Phone Recycling and Conservation Efforts - Letter to Louisville Zoo from the UN
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY 10017
20 January 2009
Dear Mr. Walczak:
We were delighted to learn of the recognition accorded to your institution as the leading zoo in North America for cell phone recycling efforts. As you know, the United Nations has been deeply concerned at the virtual decimation of gorillas in the Congo because of efforts to clear lands to mine coltan. The recycling of cell phones places wise and imaginative limits on the amount of coltan necessary for the industry and furthers our work to protect endangered lands and species. On a personal note, I should add that, when I visited the Congo while working with the World Health Organization, I saw vividly the consequences of this exploitation in the emergence and spread of disease.
The audiences which zoos attract offer a vital focus for United Nations outreach efforts. Awareness and respect for life, and the environment which sustains it, is central to our purpose and mandate. It is particularly heartening when zoos extend their learning and experience to the classroom. We have been most interested to learn about the school and university credit programmes to which Louisville Zoo so actively contributes and which are so relevant to the engagement of young minds with United Nations objectives and ideals.
Incidentally, I was delighted to learn that one of my senior colleagues who is now responsible for our global network of United Nations information Centres, worked as a volunteer at Louisville Zoo in college. A small world, indeed, and I am certain the many common areas of our mission can make it smaller still.
Yours sincerely,
Kiyo Akasaka
Under-Secretary-General
for Communications and Public Information |
Mariah Saves Gorillas
Saving gorillas one cell phone at a time 
Mariah, a third grader from western New York, decided to take the gorilla crisis into her own hands. She has been collecting cell phones for two years to save the gorilla and raise environmental awareness. She first teamed up with the Buffalo Zoo to raise money for gorilla conservation and just a few months ago, she became ECO-CELL's youngest partner yet. Go Mariah!
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Bright Collecting Idea  Use the social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to get the word out about your cell phone recycling efforts.
Start by joining ECO-CELL's Facebook group. |
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The grass is always greener....
If you have a small yard, make the move to a manual push mower. A bit larger, go electric. It's a great way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions..
Traditional gas-powered lawn mowers are responsible for 5 percent of the nation's air pollution, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which recently created emission regulations for small engines like those that lawn mowers use. One gas mower running for an hour emits the same amount of pollutants as eight new cars driving 55 mph for the same amount of time, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
By the way, if you leave the grass cuttings on the lawn, they'll release nutrients back into the soil as they break down.
We're making the move to manual mowing this spring. It'll be harder work, but Eric should be looking buff in no time! |
- Educate Yourself
- Endorse the Conflict Minerals Pledge on the web or text "CONGOPLEDGE" (one word, no spaces) to ACTION (228466)
- Spread the Word - A good place to start is to share the latest Raise Hope for Congo newsletter with your family and friends.
If you are interested in doing more, click here to take the Congo Challenge.
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 "This program provides much needed support for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund efforts to protect endangered gorillas, while helping to reduce the incentive for armed groups to invade the gorilla's habitat."
- DFGFI President and CEO Clare Richardson | |
