ZooMontana Launches Electronics Recycling Program With EcoCell

If your own home is something like mine, I’m keen to wager that you’ve a drawer stuffed with previous electronics that you just hold which means to get rid of. With a household of gadget customers, it is superb how briskly that assortment of semi-working cell telephones, cracked tablets, and outdated electronics accumulates.

Everyone is aware of that you just should not simply toss your previous electronics within the trash as a result of the batteries, capacitors, and different inner elements can break down within the landfill, doubtlessly leaching poisonous chemical compounds into our water desk.

ZooMontana is now an official electronics recycling drop-off web site, because of a brand new partnership with EcoCell. Which means these outdated telephones, tablets, earbuds, and different small devices can now do some actual good, with out ending up in a landfill or forgotten in a field till the subsequent transfer.

Read More: Concerns Rise Over Water Use For New Data Center In Montana

Here’s the way it works.

Visitors can carry accredited electronics on to the ZooMontana entrance desk, and the zoo’s Conservation Team handles the remaining. EcoCell recycles units responsibly, reclaiming priceless supplies whereas producing proceeds that fund wildlife conservation.

Accepted objects embrace:

• Cell telephones/sensible telephones
• iPads/tablets
• GPS units
• Smartwatches
• Airpods/earbuds
• VR headsets
• Digital cameras and cords

And the “why” behind this program issues greater than you would possibly suppose.

More than half of the world’s identified lithium reserves are positioned in what’s referred to as the “Lithium Triangle,” spanning components of Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. As demand for lithium continues to surge, mining strain is growing in a few of the planet’s most fragile ecosystems.

That strain doesn’t simply scar landscapes; it straight threatens wildlife and the communities that rely on these environments.

One of these species has a well-recognized face proper right here in Billings.

Dahlia, ZooMontana’s three-banded armadillo, represents animals native to areas affected by lithium mining. While Dahlia is protected and properly cared for, her wild counterparts aren’t all the time so fortunate. Habitat disruption, water depletion, and air pollution all include the territory when mining expands unchecked. Responsible recycling helps cut back the demand for brand spanking new mining by reclaiming treasured metals already in circulation.

So subsequent time you’re headed to ZooMontana, carry the youngsters, say hello to Dahlia, and drop off a couple of previous units on the entrance desk.