Recycle Your Old Tech to Help Gorillas

A visit to Audubon Zoo this Saturday can help you get rid of old tech devices and help save gorillas at the same time.  Audubon Zoo is taking part in a tech recycling project called “Gorillas on the Line” to help raise awareness about ways to help wild gorillas and their habitat.

This Saturday, June 28, 2025, is a special “Cell Phone Saturday” at Audubon Zoo where guests can bring in old phones and other tech to recycle. One of the important parts of electronic devices like phones is a mineral called coltan that is mined in areas where gorillas live in the wild. The more we can recycle old devices, the less of this mineral is mined.

The gorillas at Audubon Zoo have been working on their painting skills, and guests who bring in old phones and other tech for recycling on “Cell Phone Saturday” will receive a little piece of gorilla art as a “thank you” for recycling and learning more about gorillas.

There are four gorillas in Audubon’s gorilla troop, each has a special trading card that will be given away during keeper chats on “Cell Phone Saturday”, guests can also learn more about gorillas and gorilla conservation by exploring our biofact table and gorilla-themed activities.

If you miss this “Cell Phone Saturday”, there is another one scheduled for July 26, 2025. Donations of electronic devices are always accepted at the Audubon Zoo’s front gate, at Audubon Aquarium, and at Audubon Louisiana Nature Center.