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Press Releases
Minnesota Zoo Collects Over 7,000 Cell Phones to Support Africa Rainforest Conservation
Apple Valley, MINN – May 2, 2011 – The Minnesota Zoo collected 7,289 cell phones during a recent promotion where Zoo guests were given free admission with the donation of a single cell phone. Cell phones will be recycled at a local Twin Cities facility, with proceeds going toward African rainforest conservation efforts. The promotion was a special twist to the Zoo's "Recycling for Rainforests" program (www.mnzoo.org/cell), created in 2010 to help protect threatened rainforests and the animals that live there. Recycling cell phones reduces demand for minerals found in cell phones that are sometimes mined illegally and destructively in African rainforests. The Recycle for Rainforests program also directly benefits rainforests by raising funds for their conservation. The program also helps protect our own environment by keeping hazardous substances out of landfills. Said Zoo Conservation Director Dr. Tara Harris: "We've all heard about the threats to rainforests and the animals that call them home, but it's easy to feel powerless to help. The 'Recycle for Rainforests' program is a great way for people to make a difference for endangered African animals and their forest habitats, and this recent promotion is a testament to the benefits of cell phone recycling." The Minnesota Zoo has partnered with local electronics recycler MPC to ensure a "green" program. Working phones are refurbished for reuse and nonworking phones are recycled to reclaim precious metals. The funds raised from this process are then used for conservation. Said MPC Vice President of Business Development Alan Yousha: "MPC is proud to partner with the Minnesota Zoo, and to provide an environmental disposition platform that successfully supports the economics of this conservation effort." Since 2010, the "Recycle for Rainforests" Program has raised over $8,000 for the conservation efforts of the Goualougo Triangle Ape Project in the Republic of Congo. This project helps protect chimpanzees and gorillas and their rainforest habitat – also home to species found in the Zoo's Faces of the African Forest exhibit: colobus monkeys, De Brazza's monkeys, dwarf crocodiles, red river hogs, fruit bats and hyraxes. The Minnesota Zoo is located in Apple Valley, just minutes south of Mall of America. For more information, call 952.431.9500 or visit mnzoo.org. The Minnesota Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and an institutional member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
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