Going Green the Mobile Way

by Mishty Negi and Aman Gupta | Photo credits: TecHKU, The Guardian and others | 25 November 2014

Situated in the comfort zones of our respective latitudes and longitudes with our faces glued to the screen and fingers fumbling at the speed of light, seldom do we realize that mobile phones, a technological necessity, are responsible for the melting of polar ice cap. Debates over pros and cons of mobile phones are obsolete and pointless for it stands as an irrevocable fact that it has sneaked into our lives with great art and is here to stay. Now that we have established the role of the necessary evil it plays, let us muster our resources and energy into greening it.

If you are an eco-enthusiast who feels alienated while recycling paper or are subjected to scornful stares while hugging the tree, do not be disheartened for there is hope. Responding to heavy criticism and pestering petitions from eco-fighters, mobile industry has shifted its focus to greening itself. Here is a count-down of the efforts we personally feel deserve an applause and might strike a green cord in your heart.

1. Sol Solis

Sol solis is Latin for sun. Why Latin? Because it aggravates the gravity of the situation and everyone likes drama. This essentially is to commend the use of solar phone chargers comprising of solar panels to keep your phone running. They serve as a green alternative to conventional electronic charger. It might surprise you that the best solar chargers can even collect solar energy on days of obscured sky.

While purchasing one assess your need and demand for battery usage, check for compatibility and pay attention to the number of solar panels (more the number faster the charging rate). You should consider paying a little extra for a charger that can be used for other portable devices as well.

With the progressive work on the aesthetics of the charger making them increasingly attractive, a solar charger is a green gadget worth flaunting. At the very least, it will save you on a trip to alienated socket free zones and keep you connected to the world on a stranded island provided your network cooperates. Products such as Universal Solar Charger are readily available in computer centers of Wan Chai and Mong Kok or could be ordered online for as little as $200.

Check out the Strawberry Tree, world’s first public solar charger for mobile devices. It even provides wireless internet in its vicinity. Now that’s icing on the cake with a “strawberry” on top.

2. Wanting the Unwanted

The fast growing surplus of plastic waste has been a cause of nuisance and worry. Landfills are exhausted, exporting to space is unfeasible and dumping is unsightly. This leaves us with no options but the green alternative to recycle and the mobile industry has definitely acknowledged that— it is transferring the entire scrape and crap into the casings of your phones.

Sony Ericsson C901 GreenHeart has a body comprising of 50% recycled plastic. Motorola W233 Renew takes it a notch higher with a casing made entirely out of waste plastic bottles and an eco-gift of a pre-paid envelope to the customers at the time of purchase for recycling the phone right when you are about to throw it at the end of its lifetime. Samsung continues to incorporate recycled plastic in their models and LG is catching up with the environmentally friendly paints and biodegradable plastic.

Ever wondered how sustainable your smartphone is and what cost the environment bears for it? Click here.

However, phones made with recycled plastic are not as strong as you may perceive, since this is an upcoming field and a lot of research is yet to be done to achieve the strength of conventional materials. You are definitely in for a disappointment if the indestructible Nokia 3310 has redefined your perception of sturdy. I advise you to let go and turn to more respectful handling of your device.

Moreover, most smartphone companies now have buy back programs to reuse parts of your phone and recycle the waste responsibly. Apple is leading these group of environment conscious companies with its Reuse and Recycling Campaign. You can visit your nearest Apple store where your old iPhone can be appraised for recycling; if it retains a monetary value, you will receive the credit as a gift card. This offer is also valid for Macbooks, iMacs, and even Windows PCs. Ever imagined walking out of the Apple Store with more money than you went in with? Well, now you can!

3. Bit by Bit

When David Hakkens was struck with the feather of genius he decided to develop a modular approach towards phone design. Phoneblok is a vision to never have to throw the phone again. The phone is made of detachable ‘bloks’ which can be independently fixed and replaced.

The idea of modular phones may seem strange to you today, but you are definitely going to see a nerd walking around with one sooner than you can imagine. Google’s Project Ara which is distinctly similar to Phoneblok will be releasing early next year (the details will be further discussed on November 26 at the Developers Conference for Project Ara).

Most people update their phones these days because one particular part of their phone, the camera, the processor or the battery, becomes outdated. However, with modular phones, the unwanted ‘module’ can be replaced with the latest version for just half the monetary and environmental cost.

Check out the article by Sundara on details about Phoneblok and its further prospects.

4. The Phoenix

Bring out the bells for spring has come, literally, for a flowering phone is now a reality . The researchers at the University of Warwick have developed a phone case from biodegradable polymer and an embedded sunflower seed. So when you have exhausted the utility just shove it in the soil and watch patience of a few weeks metamorphose your case into a blooming flower. The magic of the rising phoenix from the ashes is no longer a myth.


Prototypes of the biodegradable phone cases

The first prototype is a dwarf sunflower seed as it performs the best under the conditions and the application is limited to the cover (Do not bury your phone battery! Everyone loves flowers, not Lithium-ions). This surely has given credence to the possibility of a novel and a beautiful method of electronic disposal. Who minds a walk in the garden blooming with your degrading phone?

The environmental problem is grave and the present technologies are limited or in their budding stages. The mobile industry has miles to go but the current efforts flash a beacon of hope.

Consumer need is ultimately the driving factor of goods production. Therefore, a greener attitude can significantly alter the production trend.

For now we shall take the liberty to appreciate the eco-efforts and cut the mobile industry some slack for the shortcomings as an impetus for a greener tomorrow.

Mishty Negi

Third year student in Environmental Engineering and Finance at HKU who claims to be a stargazer but really watches anime only, and gets random bursts to sing and dance.

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Aman Gupta

An everyday tech-enthusiast who runs his own blog, listens to rock and spends more time on 9GAG than reading books. Doesn't understand the idea of playing sports on gaming consoles but loves FPS games. Follows too many TV series and studies engineering (in his free time) - Computer Science usually and sometimes also finance! That is me. *yawn*

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Author: Mishty Negi

Third year student in Environmental Engineering and Finance at HKU who claims to be a stargazer but really watches anime only, and gets random bursts to sing and dance.

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