Recyle your mobile phone

Mobiles contain a mineral called coltan that is mostly mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a major habitat for primates. Famous conservationist Jane Goodall launched a mobile-phone recycling program at Melbourne Zoo last October, which has now gone national. Ms Goodall says coltan mining has opened the way for deforestation and gorilla poaching. In 1994 there were 17,000 eastern lowland gorillas, now there are only 5000. The program aims to cut demand for coltan and raise funds to pay for extra park rangers to prevent poaching – about $2 is raised from each phone. To donate your old phone, visit Aussie Recycling Program at www.arp.net.au

If every Better Homes and Gardens reader recycled a phone, we’d raise $700,000 and help save gorillas.