Like many companies, Sprint wanted to do its part to fight global warming. It took measures to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, increase its use of renewable energy and carefully recycle old phones.
The Samsung Restore is one of two new green phones coming to market. Sprint is looking at using kinetic energy to charge future phones
But what about designing green phones from the start, cutting down on the use of damaging chemicals and manufacturing with recycled materials? There was a void in the market the company decided to fill, says manager Darren Beck.
This summer, the efforts will result in the release of the company’s second and third green phones. Possibly first to arrive, the Samsung Restore, has an outer casing made of 27 percent recycled plastic and as a whole is 84 percent recyclable. It uses only small amounts of the environmentally troublesome chemicals PVC, brominated flame retardant, beryllium and phthalates, according to a press release made available Tuesday.
But the initiative won’t end there, Beck said on a Cisco Systems-sponsored Virtual Earth Day conference call. The company is looking at other aggressive steps to improve the cell phone’s eco-footprint.
At the top of the list, says Beck, are efforts to eliminate the need for chargers by creating self-charging phones that make use of kinetic movement or radio waves to charge. The company also is looking at the possibility of not including chargers with its phone and letting consumers use their existing chargers.
In tandem, engineers are examining ways to use improve materials and reduce or eliminate packaging waste.
Sprint’s first green phone, the Samsung Reclaim, was released last summer. Eighty percent of its materials can be recycled. Along with the Resore, Sprint will launch a green phone this summer from LG Electronics called the Remark. Nineteen percent of its shell comes from recycled materials.
Tuesday’s press release also pointed out that the Restore will come with an Energy Star certified charger and without a paper manual. It’s packaging is 100 percent recyclable.
Posted by Mark Boslet 
