Indian Hill High School students are helping out African gorillas through recycling. The school has partnered with the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden to collect used cell phones.
"The zoo has taken on this project as a (conservation) effort," said biology instructor Laura Koehne, who is also serving as a faculty adviser for the cell phone collection effort. "(The zoo is) looking to expand this through different schools."
In addition to Summit Country Day School, Indian Hill High School is one of the first schools to participate in this.
An ECO-CELL collection box is in the front lobby of the high school. ECO-CELL is a Louisville-based company which promotes cell phone recycling.According to Koehne, cell phones contain an ore called coltan. This ore is often mined in habitats near the gorillas.
"By collecting the phones we are recycling the ore instead of throwing it out," Koehne said. "As a result there is less impact on the gorilla environment."
Collection of the phones began April 13. On the first day, 50 cell phones were collected, said Koehne Junior Jason Lee, who is helping with the collection effort, said the cell phones do not have to be in working order to be donated.
"A lot of people keep broken cell phones in a drawer," said Lee, who is a resident of Indian Hill. "This is a way to make a difference."
Phones can be dropped off at the school, 6865 Drake Road.
