Editorial: Cell phones are killing gorillas

Photo caption: The ISD Editorial Board shows how cell phone waste can destroy the habitats of Western lowland gorillas and offers alternatives to throwing away old cell phones. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Article by ISD Editorial Board.

The United States throws away about 152 million phones every year. Worldwide, 400 million people have an old, spare cell phone that they keep.

Besides the fact that throwing away cell phones is e-waste, properly disposing of and recycling your old phones can help an endangered species: the Western lowland gorillas.

A mineral called coltan is found in cell phones, which is mined in the rainforests the gorillas call home, thus destroying their habitats. […]

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