The problem with recycled plastic in green mobile phones is the word ‘recycled’. When I think of recycled, I can’t help but think of other words – less than, not quite as good as a normal mobile phone; not getting quality for my money?
This is far from the truth, because an eco designed mobile phone is at the forefront of its industry when you look at the moral concern, the new design ideas and improved environmental production practices that go into the construction of this new order of phones.
I don’t have enough space to show the worlds consumption of plastic, but in the UK, to give you an idea, we are given some 17.5 billion plastic bags a year at the checkouts of supermarket? For the most part they end up in landfill sites, but with a degradation life of nearly a nuclear isotope, throwing them away doesn’t make much sense.
How many times have you seen a bag floating along by the side of the road or in a park, or caught in a tree, Yuk. But no more, as they can be reused, they can have a 2nd and 3rd life and more, as plastic can be recycled up to six times. And in Europe we are thinking more this way, as in 2006 reused plastics reached 50%.
I don’t want to make plastic out to be such an ogre, even the second best alternatives to plastic would increase our world energy consumption by 26% and present us with a 56% increase in global warming figures. So, if we can reuse what we have already dug up in all our daily goods it makes sound economic sense for companies, the planet and you as the end user.
Mobile Phones suffered the same derisory comments when they entered the marketplace when they first appeared when people were so used to land-phones, now Mobiles out-number their landlocked counterpart. Given time we can change to what’s best for us and the planet. Once the benefits outweigh the issues at hand, the change will be easy.
We need to look at greener mobile phones as a necessity and not part of a wish list, their design reveals a deep environmental attitude that other industries should follow. Wouldn’t it make sense then if computer, fridge, dishwaters, stereos microwave manufacturers all followed suit and made their products from recycled materials? What about luxury goods, a top watch or fashion accessory that uses recycled plastic? To do this, would then be seen as the norm whereby customers would be perplexed if an industry used virgin raw material rather second life plastic.
Mobile phones are very personal, but 4G, the software platform or the brand is just the same, if not better, as it’s all pulled together using recycled eco friendly materials. And your carbon impact on the world around you will be so much less.