Eco Club and Key Club are joining forces to collect old handheld electronic devices that will be recycled by Eco-CELL. The Milwaukee County Zoo started the initiative to collect and reuse coltan, a mineral mined from regions in Africa where gorillas and other endangered species live.

“Gorillas on the Line is a recycling initiative that we are working with the Milwaukee County Zoo to recycle old phones and handheld devices that have batteries in them, and those batteries contain a mineral called coltan,” said Lola Wasserman, senior and Eco Club president. “It’s being destructively mined in countries primarily in Africa, and that is also the habitat of a lot of endangered species such as gorillas.”

The initiative helps the gorillas both by recycling coltan as well as raising both money and awareness. 

“When we recycle these devices we’re preventing further gorilla habitats from being destroyed through mining,” said Sydney Oerter, senior and Eco Club vice president. “As well as just the recycling process, the whole initiative is raising money to also go towards habitat preservation.”

Last year, the initiative collected over 12,000 devices. This year, they aim to amass 20,000. 

Devices, including cell phones, digital music players, GPS units, gaming devices and tablets, can be dropped off at any “Gorilla on the Line” collection box found at SHS, specifically in the office, the library and a few classrooms, as well as at SIS, Lake Bluff or Atwater.

“We’re just trying to collect as many as possible,” Oerter said. “We understand that not everyone has phones lying around, so we’re just trying to get anyone who has something like that to participate … We’re basically trying to extend the hand to anyone in Shorewood, really. We want to get anyone involved.”

Anyone considering participating should not feel rushed to do so. Oerter suggests that residents take the time to inventory their devices and decide whether or not they have any they could part with. 

“The whole event lasts through the end of April,” Oerter said. “There’s quite a lot of time. I think people are aware of what’s going on, but they have a lot of time, so they haven’t really cracked down and analyzed or evaluated if they actually have that stuff and are they willing to donate. We have time.”

The drive is accepting all handheld electronic devices regardless of how old it is or whether or not it still works.

“Even if the screen is completely broken you can still donate it, because it’s mostly what’s on the inside that they’re looking for, like the battery,” said Marcella Yatso, junior and Eco-Club member. “Even if it’s destroyed, donate it. They might be able to use it.”

The program started locally and has spread all over the country. Last year, 21 zoos across the US teamed up to amass as many devices as possible. 

As this is the first time Shorewood is participating in the initiative, there is not a set goal for how many devices Eco Club and Key Club hope to collect.

“We don’t have a specific goal because this is the first year doing it,” Wasserman said. “We’re trying to get our feet in the water. The goal would be for people to be aware of the destruction that comes with buying a new phone every year, every two years, just kind of encouraging people to hold onto them as long as possible for financial reasons and ecological reasons. It’s just something that we all need to be conscious of.”

The group that collects the most devices will receive a painting created by a gorilla from the Milwaukee County Zoo in their school colors. 

“There is a prize if we do win,” Wasserman said. “So this drive is happening with schools all around the country and the district or club that collects the most phones wins a painting done by a gorilla at the Milwaukee County Zoo, which is part of their enrichment activities to keep them happy and healthy and interested in things.”

Oerter believes that this drive is something that fits into the Shorewood lifestyle and is hoping that it will be successful. 

“The initiative definitely goes along with our values here at Shorewood, with recycling and preserving the environment, and it is all around just for the betterment of the world,” Oerter said. “In a broad sense, I think that it encompasses our values here at Shorewood.”