Answer Twycross Zoo’s call for mobile phones

Families looking to support conservation during February Half Term 2020 should head to Twycross Zoo and take any unwanted mobile phones with them! Just walking through the gates of Twycross Zoo has a positive effect on conservation, but to make an even bigger impact the zoo is calling for visitors to bring old mobile phones to recycle.

There are a staggering 7 billion mobile phones in the world which works out at one for every person. Each mobile phone contains coltan, 85% of which is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the only place on earth where wild bonobos live. Mass mobile phone production and the constant need for this mineral has led to a devastating 90% of bonobo habitats being destroyed, and as a result this species is in rapid decline.

Twycross Zoo has partnered with Clover Environmental Solutions to launch this much-needed mobile phone recycling scheme. Any phones handed to Guest Services at the zoo will be refurbished, or recycled with the 70-80 minerals inside used to make new phones.

Freisha Patel, Twycross Zoo’s Research & Conservation Coordinator said: “Every visitor that comes to Twycross Zoo this February Half Term is supporting our conservation mission, supporting all of our species here in the zoo and support organisations across the world to protect endangered animals like the Bonobo. 

The time to make a difference is now and if everyone made small changes it would collectively make a huge impact to the world’s natural habitats. Over half term, with our visitors’ help we hope to collect 2000 mobile phones to support Bonobo conservation.”

Twycross Zoo supports conservation projects from Belize to Congo including the world’s only sanctuary for orphaned bonobos, Lola ya Bonobo.