Associates at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) rounded up 565 cell phones and 458 cell phone chargers during the company’s “Recycle for Good” cell phone drive benefiting the Good Deed Foundation and the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis. The drive will help raise money for national and local anti-poverty and environmental programs.

“Methodist’s original goal was to collect 200 phones, so we are thrilled with the response from our Associates,” noted Trina Jones, director of executive projects for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. “This was like having a scavenger hunt for a good cause, and our associates really did some digging for buried treasure. Some of the phones we saw belonged in an Austin Powers movie; they were so mod.”

Ninety percent of the funds generated by recycling the phones are donated to non-profit organizations working to dismantle poverty or provide solutions to climate change. Good Deed Foundation’s goal was to raise $1 million by Oct. 17, World Poverty Day. The Women’s Foundation’s goal was to collect 5,000 phones in Memphis.

Besides raising money for a good cause, collecting the phones helps the environment. Each cell phone recycled helps keep 66 pounds of CO2 (carbon dioxide) out of the atmosphere, that means Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare associates have saved 37,290 pounds of C02 from being released.