The good news for consumers is that Nokia has made a greener phone, "Remade". The sad news is that it is not in production yet. Hopefully other companies will start thinking about the huge potential profits that can be made from a genuinely "green" mobile phone; a clean, durable product that can be upgraded, recycled, or disposed of safely.
Consumers with a greener tinge will grow, and they will look for companies with the best and newest technologies, as well as the friendliest environmental approach. A phone that has great design and all the desirable functions, but also a phone that makes minimal impact on our Earth.
Many people buy a new mobile phone every two years or less, hundreds of thousands of mobile phones are dumped in landfills or burned in smelters. The explosion in electronic scrap (e-waste) containing toxic chemical and heavy metals can be haltered. E-waste contains substances that may become hazardous if not handled properly when disposed; the substances are generally safely when you use them. The workers at scarp yards are exposed to toxic chemicals, and sometimes children work in these yards.
Consumers will look for companies designing phones in a way that makes them easier to recycle, using less toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and brominates flame-retardants. Motorola has listed substances that the company are working towards excluding in the design and production of its phones.
About 90 per cent of each mobile handset can be recycled, but only a small proportion is recycled today. Mobile phones are a valuable form of e-waste, each one contains about a dollar's worth of precious metals such as gold.
Most people also buy a new phone before the old one is unusable and there are now growing second-hand markets for mobile phones. The hazardous waste is kept out of the landfills at little longer, and you are paid for your old your phone. There are also companies that recycle your phone; however, it is important to check that the company actually scrap the phone in the most environmentally friendly way.
Nokias "Remade" mobile phone is made entirely from recycled materials, an "upcycled" phone. The casing is made from recycled aluminium cans, the chassis from plastic drink bottles, and the keys from old tires. The phone is beautiful and energy efficient through its power saving graphics.
A green mobile phone is not only the latest gadget; it is an essential and important product. Hopefully we will find it in the shops soon.
People want their mobile phone to be an expression of their personality. A "green" phone would be the best and coolest status symbol. A true expression of your personality.
