Motorola Claims 'World First' with Carbon Neutral Mobile Phone

Telecommunications group Motorola showed the world what it claims is the first carbon neutral mobile phone on January 6th 2009. The product – the W233 Renew – uses recycled materials in its construction, specifically water bottles, and it places Motorola alongside other companies offering, or set to offer, consumer goods which are environmentally friendly.

The W233’s market debut is set to occur later on in this financial quarter.

Environmental Concerns

In addition to the environmentally friendly elements of the phone’s external casing, other elements of its manufacturing will also, according to Motorola, be carried out with environmental concerns in mind.

“Through an alliance with Carbonfund.org, Motorola offsets the carbon dioxide required to manufacture, distribute and operate the phone through investments in renewable energy sources and reforestation”, the company itself said, adding: “The phone has earned Carbonfund.org's CarbonFree Product Certification after an extensive product life-cycle assessment,"

The packaging it comes in has also been designed with regards to the environment, being 22 per cent smaller and, therefore, leading to a reduction in landfill waste. Furthermore, it uses recycled paper and organic inks.

An envelope is set to be provided with the W233 which will enable its users to send it back to Motorola once finished with, who will then recycle it.

Recyclable Materials

In general terms, a whole number of materials are capable of being recycled. These include electronic components and metals and, as with the M233 Renew, plastics and paper.

“From the product's design to the packaging and our partnership with Carbonfund.org, we wanted to ensure that this device makes the right impact with consumers and the environment”, Motorola Mobile’s vice president for global marketing, Jeremy Dale, commented.

Recycling Industry

According to the latest-available figures, over one-point-five million workers worldwide are involved in the recycling industry.

Overall, materials totalling over 600 million tonnes in weight are recycled and, in the US, recycling-related activities generate more than $160 billion annually.

No information on the Motorola W233 Renew’s cost is yet known. It, together with three other new products, will be on show at the upcoming CES (Consumer Electronics Show) event which takes place in Las Vegas between January 8th and January 11th.