Zoo New England’s Gorillas on the Line electronics recycling campaign is celebrating another year of conservation impact. The campaign, which encourages people to recycle old electronic devices to prevent gorilla habitat destruction, collected 390 pounds of small electronics donations through local partnerships and onsite collection bins at Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo.

Zoo New England collected 763 electronic devices with the help of over 40 recycling partners, including local businesses, libraries, churches, colleges, and schools. Once again, Zoo New England partnered with the Phineas Bates Elementary School in Roslindale, where fourth grade classes researched, wrote and presented PSA’s about gorilla conservation and the Gorillas on the Line program to their classmates, friends and families. In the spring, several classes visiting during scheduled field trips dropped off donations they had collected throughout the school year. 

Gorillas on the Line encourages consumers to extend the life of their cell phone by committing to using it a few years longer, and by recycling it when it’s finally time for an upgrade. When recycled, old cell phones, tablets and chargers can have a major impact on reducing the hunting and displacement of gorillas and other species that share habitats at risk of coltan mining. Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered in the wild, found in the countries of Cameroon, Nigeria, Gabon, Central African Republic, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, and Republic of Congo, and are divided into Cross River and western lowland subspecies.

Now in its seventh year, the Gorillas on the Line campaign continues to receive donations from many zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), including Zoo New England’s Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo. Together in 2025, 54 partner organizations recycled 29,224 electronic devices, including cell phones and tablets, and raised $25,325 to support wildlife conservation efforts. Out of the 54 participating institutions around the world, Zoo New England ranked 12th in the donation totals. All funds raised from the campaign will support AZA’s Gorilla SAFE (Saving Animals from Extinction) initiative to support habitat protection and the growth of healthy gorilla populations in the wild. 

Zoo New England has been a longtime supporter of gorilla conservation, devoting resources and expertise to the preservation of this iconic species. Zoo New England is an active participant in the Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative, inter-zoo program coordinated nationally through the AZA. SSPs help to ensure the survival of selected species in zoos and aquariums, most of which are threatened or endangered, and enhance conservation of these species in the wild. By participating in AZA’s Gorilla SAFE initiative, Zoo New England is supporting a project to protect Cross-River gorillas in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in Nigeria.

Learn more about Gorillas on the Line and how to partner with Zoo New England on a collection drive.