The Hattiesburg Zoo will be hosting a drive to collect electronic devices for recycling in December and January in an effort to help animals and their natural habitats across the globe.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, fewer than 20% of unwanted cell phones are recycled each year.
“By hosting this drive prior to and following the Christmas season, when gifting of electronic devices is quite popular, we hope to collect plenty of old or broken electronic devices which would otherwise be discarded and send them to EcoCell for recycling,” Jeremy Cumpton, Director of Conservation, Education, and Wildlife at the zoo said. “By recycling these items, EcoCell is able to reuse parts of these electronics, which take lots of energy to produce while also helping animals and their natural habitats by reducing the amount of mining needed for the ores.”
Accepted items include the following:
- Cell phones
- Smartphones
- iPhones
- iPods
- iPads
- Tablets
- Apple/Android watches
- Bluetooth watches
- GPS
- MP3 players
- E-readers
- Digital cameras
- Handheld gaming systems
Accessories that come with any of the previously mentioned devices will also be accepted during the drive.
Items can still be recycled even if they are broken, used, locked, or have any other form of damage. It is highly recommended that data is cleared from devices before dropping them off for recycling.
The recycling bin will be located inside the gift shop — which is accessible from the zoo’s parking lot — and will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday in December and Friday through Sunday in January.
Admission to the Hattiesburg Zoo is not required to participate in the recycling drive.
