Green Team News

SMPPS is going to get behind the Melbourne Zoo’s protection of gorillas and it could not be easier to support this important cause.

Simply bring your old, unused mobile phones, tablets, chargers and headphones (in any condition) into the school office and the zoo will take care of the rest! 

What’s the connection between mobile phones and gorillas you ask? 

One of the biggest threats to Eastern Lowland Gorillas is the mining of minerals such as coltan, a metallic ore used in mobile phones and other electronic devices. As demand for mobile phones increases, so too does the mining of vital gorilla habitat. Not only does this destroy forests, but the smartphone manufacturing process involving land clearing and mining and transport of precious minerals, means that smartphones generate a larger carbon footprint than any other consumer electronic device. 

By recycling mobile phones, we can reclaim over 95% of their materials, preserve gorilla habitat, and keep phones out of landfill.  We encourage you to use your phone for as long as possible, and when you upgrade, please recycle your old phone through our They’re Calling On You program.  

So far the Melbourne Zoo has recycled and repurposed more than 180,000 devices donated by individuals, schools and businesses, raising more than $290,000 for conservation.  

So please check the cupboards and drawers at home and clear out all unwanted phones!

Thank you.