green phones

A Blow to Cell Phone Recycling? Recycled Phones Found to Still Have Your Data

jplatt — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Hundreds of thousands of new cell phones are sold every year. Most of them go to replace older phones, which can end up being donated, refurbished and resold, thereby keeping them out of landfills and extending their life cycles.

But now comes word that, in a study of 2,000 recycled phones, a shocking 99% of them still had some amount of private data stored in their memory. This even included personal data like passwords and private emails, according to Regenersis, the UK-based cell phone recycler, which conducted the random test on the phones it was recycling.

Now, if your cell phone is a golden oldie like mine, there's probably not a lot of data on it. But if you're been migrating to smarter phones, or if you use yours for any type of online services, this could be more of a problem in the long run.

There are a few steps you can do to help ensure that your data is safe when you donate or recycle your phone:

1. Remove the SIM card. (This contains a good chunk of your private data.)

2. Take the time to clear your memory of your contacts, bookmarks, photos and other data.

3. Reformat your cell phone yourself, wiping out all of the old data in the process.

4. Confirm that the company recycling your phone wipes out all data, and does it well. (I think it's important to note here that Regenersis does not seem to be one of those companies that wipes phones clean. They rely on the people doing the donating to do that, which is kind of weak.)

Here's an earlier post that offers more tips on recycling your old phones.

Motorola Introduces First Phone Made From Recycled Water Bottles

jplatt — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:00:00 -0500

At last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Motorola introduced its new MOTO™ W233 Renew phone -- what it billed as "the world’s first mobile phone made using plastics comprised of recycled water bottles."

Of course, the entire phone isn't made of recycled plastic -- they're only really talking about the exterior. The guts of the phone -- the parts that make it work -- are still all metals that need to be carefully recycled when the phone is at the enf of its lifecycle.

But still, there's more good news. As Motorola writes, "Not only is the plastic housing of Renew made from plastics comprised of recycled water bottles and 100 percent recyclable, but it is also the world’s first carbon neutral phone. 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 phone has earned Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree® Product Certification after an extensive product life-cycle assessment."

The phone comes in smaller-than-usual packaging, which is made entirely of post-consumer waste. It also comes with an envelope so you can mail your old phone in for free recycling.

The W233 Renew will be available from T-Mobile later this quarter.

Can You Write a Cell-Phone Program That Will Save the World?

jplatt — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0400

Every generation of cell phones gets smarter, more powerful, and capable of connecting us in new and different ways. In fact, some mobile phones are so powerful they aren't even called "cell phones" anymore -- they're "smart phones."

And as Stan Lee famously said, "with great power comes great responsibility."

Nokia and inventor Dean Kamen (creator of the Segway) have teamed up to fund a contest to find the next big thing in mobile programs (called applications), with one of the categories specifically calling for eco-related apps. Winners get a $25,000 prize for the creating best new mobile applications “that enhance the use of mobile devices in real-world scenarios.”

Here are the three categories:

Eco-Challenge - "Make a Difference": Developers who submit for this category will be building tools to help people take care of the environment - from charger reminders to mobile learning applications, from navigation info to recycling tips.

Emerging Markets - "IMAGINE the Possibilities": The mission of the Emerging Markets Challenge is to open up new opportunities for developers to pioneer & monetize services impacting the daily lives of millions in developing nations. Examples include applications providing health information and data access, apps offering low-cost infotainment, SMS-driven apps that inform rural agricultural workers of the best time and place to bring products to market, as well as literacy and general education solutions.

Technology Showcase - "Developer Showdown": Open to all technologies, if it runs on S60 or Series 40, then we want to see it! Regardless if it has just been created or you have been selling it for a while, casual or commercial, we want to showcase the best of the best. Be it on Flash Lite, Java, Python, or open source. If it’s a game, enterprise solution, Web-based widget, or just a cool application that will enhance the mobile user experience, then this is the category to enter.

What do you think mobile applications can do to help make the world a better place? And can you write the next great mobile app? If so, Nokia and Dean Kamen are waiting to hear from you.

Entries are due December 15th.

The Greenest Cellphone Company in America: CREDO

jplatt — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

How happy are you with your current wireless provider?

No matter how you answer that question, you might want to check out CREDO Mobile, the self-described "greenest phone company in America." While CREDO (formerly Working Assets Wireless) doesn't have coverage across 100% of the U.S., it does provide one of if not the most environmentally friendly alternatives out there, and the company runs itself in a greener manner than anyone else.

For one thing, CREDO donates 1% of your charges to "progressive" nonprofit groups, including such green causes as the Center for Biological Diversity, the Organic Farming Research Foundation and Greenpeace. CREDO and its parent company have donated $60 million since 1985, including more than $3.5 million just last year.

As a company, CREDO has also made some smart, green decisions. Their bills are printed on 100% post-consumer paper, and they have planted 2.5 million trees to offset their paper use. They buy carbon offsets from Carbonfund.org to offset both its company energy use and the cost of shipping its phones to customers. They have also committed to recycling old cell phones, and have collected 22,000 of them since 2002.

As for its customers, CREDO offers you a way to go greener. Right now, when you buy an LG 150 flip phone from them, they'll throw in a free Solio™ solar charger, which you can use to power your phone or just about any other portable device.

Think about all of that the next time you charge your cell phone -- or look at your bill!