Old Cell Phones Can Do More Than Make Calls 

They Can Plant Trees

November 18, 2009

To Partners and Friends of Great River Greening:

Recycle your old cell phone at any M&I Bank location and we’ll plant a tree.
The Twin Cities community is urged to “go green” by recycling their old cell phones this month. Five Twin Cities organizations have joined together to host a cell phone recycling program to ensure that old technology is disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner.

KARE 11, M&I Bank, Waste Management, Great River Greening, and Chipotle encourage participants to bring their unwanted mobile devices to any Twin Cities M&I Bank location, including Hudson, WI, through Dec. 12. To further promote going “green,” cell phones will be recycled by Waste Management and proceeds will be donated to Great River Greening to plant trees in spring 2010.  Waste Management is the largest recycler in Minnesota, recycling nearly 250,000 tons per year at the Minneapolis Recycling Center.

            Acceptable devices include:
- Cell Phones                - PDAs
- Cords                                    - Chargers

            Unacceptable devices include:
-Cases
-Mounting Brackets
-Bluetooth Accessories

In exchange for dropping off old cell phones, Chipotle will donate a free Chipotle burrito coupon to program participants, while supplies last.

The tree planting, scheduled to take place in spring 2010, will take place in the Twin Cities area. Great River Greening will select the locations and types of trees to be planted, as part of their ongoing effort to inspire community-based restoration of prairies, forests and waterways.