Sprint Accelerates Quest For A Green Phone

April 20, 2010

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.

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Posted by Mark Boslet

China Top US In Green Product Awareness

April 2, 2010

Consumers in emerging countries, including China, are more environmentally conscious than those in developed Western nations, a surprise observation that runs contrary to common wisdom.

The finding was the key takeaway in a recent Accenture survey of eight countries, including Germany, France, the United States and India. In all, the willingness to favor green products was greater in less developed economies.

Researchers said the difference appeared to be the result of the greater exposure to pollution and environmental degradation. In developing nations, such as India and China, the immediacy of air and water pollution is leading shoppers to select products with a smaller environmental impact.

“Consumers in difference places have a different perception of the harm to the environment that pollution can cause,” says Kumu Puri, managing director of the consultant’s consumer technology practice. “The numbers are so disparate.”

Overall, 84 percent of consumers in emerging countries said they would be willing to pay a premium for green consumer electronics – televisions, computers and cell phones. Only 34 percent of consumers in mature economies were willing to pay extra for electronic gear that uses less power or is easily recycled.

The highest level of environmental concern was found in China. Ninety-eight percent of consumers were willing to pay a premium. India was second with 84 percent, followed by Malaysia.

Only 43 percent of consumers were willing to shell out extra in the United States and 42 percent in Germany. Almost half of Japanese consumers (49 percent) said they would dig deeper into their wallets.

Puri said the findings uncovered a fundamental difference in green attitudes. What’s more, the difference in China may be a sign of a trend gaining steam. They survey was conducted online, meaning that only the most affluent consumers were able to take part. The rest of the nation may be getting ready to follow suit.

Accenture surveyed 16,000 consumers last fall for the research.

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Posted by Mark Boslet

New Green Social Network GlobalForce Launches

September 10, 2009

It is not like the field for green social networks isn’t already crowded.

There’s Care2.com, Change.org, Celsias and Carbonrally, to name a few. Now there is GlobalForce.

Site hopes to be e-commerce store for green products

Site hopes to be an e-commerce store for green products

The social network (and hoped-for online store) illustrates one clear truth: entrepreneurs continue to believe America’s appetite for things “green” will grow.

The site hopes to bring together activists and non-activists to battle global warming. It also offers a series of carbon calculators and dreams of becoming an e-commerce site for environmentally responsible products.

I’d like to wish its management team luck. Unfortunately, one of the site’s major shortcomings is that it fails to list any of the people behind it. I hope this changes rapidly.

You can find it here.

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Posted by Mark Boslet

Consumers Willing To Pay More For Green Products

August 25, 2009

Americans are becoming more sensitive to the environment.

In the past two years, so-called green awareness is up 7 percentage points. Seventy-two percent of consumers now say they pay attention to issues such as global warming.

Samsungs LED televisions are razor thin and are 40 percent more energy efficient than an LCD

Samsung's LED televisions are razor thin and are 40 percent more energy efficient than an LCD

This environmentalism is starting to show up at the cash register. According to research conducted late last year by consumer-electronics giant Samsung, consumers are willing to pay extra for products that meet their environmental standards.

“It’s becoming more and more significant,” said David Steel, senior vice president of Samsung’s strategic marketing.

The company’s research found that traditional buying criteria remain the top purchase considerations. Product reliability, for example, is number one, with 20 percent of consumers rating it the most important consideration. It is followed by price and product ratings or reviews.

Environmental considerations are showing up as swing factors when other criteria match up, said Steel. Energy efficient is the most important among them with 8 percent of consumers saying it is something they pay attention to.
Perhaps more importantly, the research found that when environmental factors influence purchase decisions, consumers are willing to pay up to 20 percent more for products, Steel adds.

Samsung hopes to take advantage of the new found environmental interest by emphasizing the power efficiency of its new LED TVs. LED models cut energy use by 40 percent compared with LCD televisions, he says.

They also don’t require the use of mercury during manufacturing. And over time, more improvements will follow. Samsung has two energy savings technologies under development that it refers to as active dimming and adaptive luminance. Both dim sections of a television screen when brightness or illumination are not needed.

“This is a journey,” says Steel. “We’re trying to improve the way we do business to be more green and sustainable.”

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Posted by Mark Boslet

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