Photo: Suzanne Sausville/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Cell phones have become a necessity in daily life, but Zoo New England is asking people to be more conscious about when they get their next upgrade.
Coltan is a mineral used to make cell phones. Unfortunately, this important mineral is mined in gorilla habitats, often in the Congo.
President of Zoo New England John Linehan spoke to WBZ’s Suzanne Sausville about how the mining process affects gorillas.
“The problem with the mining is that it's done very informally, very unsafely frankly, but the miners bring their whole families in,” said Linehan. “They all have to be fed. They shoot all the wildlife in the area. They become silent jungles on top of the environmental degradation.”
Zoo New England accepts donations of old cell phones and tablets at Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo. All devices are sent to a company that extracts the coltan.
Linehan also hopes people will think twice about upgrading to the newest model when they do not have to.
“Just don’t change over your cell phone very often if you don’t need to,” said Linehan. “People go for the latest upgrades and really it takes a toll on gorillas and all the other wildlife that lives in their areas.”
WBZ’s Suzanne Sausville (@wbzSausville) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App | TikTok