Mobile phones carry with them environmental overheads in the form of fossil-based plastics, dangerous chemicals, heavy metals and plenty of packaging.
The growing recognition of the environmental impacts of mobile phones has led to greater efforts from manufacturers to green production and distribution. This is also responding to signs that consumers are increasingly taking into account green factors in their mobile phone purchasing decisions. Consumer power has often proved to be a key driver in changing the way goods are produced.
02 has taken note of this trend and has recently launched the UK’s first eco rating scheme for mobile phones. The scheme should gain credibility by being designed by Forum for the Future, the renowned sustainable development consultancy.
Factors such as raw materials use, packaging, charger efficiency and ease of recycling feed into the rating. For devices in the UK the rating will be displayed at point of sale either in shops or online. Each handset is given a rating between zero and five with five being the highest score. The winner of the first 65 phones listed is the Sony Ericsson Elm at 4.3.
A big disappointment is the refusal of Apple to participate. However, Blackberry plan to join the scheme later in the year.