Recently in green Category

Sprint announced an ambitious goal to reduce its total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 15 percent by 2017, along with a set of environmental priorities, as part of its expanded environmental program. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will recognize Sprint as a "GHG Reduction Goal Setter" during the 2008 Climate Leaders Conference Oct. 6-Oct. 8 in Chicago.

Sony Ericsson is launching green initiatives with an environmental warranty and GreenHeart phones.

The Sony Ericsson's environmental warranty ensures that when any Sony Ericsson product is taken to a designated collection point, Sony Ericsson will recycle this product in an environmentally sound way. 

The warranty is valid globally, regardless of where the product was originally purchased, as Sony Ericsson strives to show its support for 'individual producer responsibility'.

The GreenHeart  includes features such as bio-plastic housings, recycled plastic keypads, zero charger with 3.5mW standby power, HTML based e-manuals, a game style educational application 'Ecomate' and environmentally conscious packaging.

This week's Democratic Party Convention promises to be the "greenest" political gathering in history. A Verizon Wireless news release says that Verizon is doing its part to help the environment in Denver and nationwide, starting with phone recycling. According to the EPA, recycling 100 million cell phones would save enough energy to power nearly 200,000 U.S. households with electricity for a year.

Verizon Wireless is encouraging delegates and other visitors to Denver and everyone with a used wireless phone or accessory they're no longer using to donate the equipment to its HopeLine program. Wireless phones and equipment can be donated this week and year-round at any Verizon Wireless Communications Store in Denver. Donated phones, batteries and accessories will be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way or refurbished for reuse, with proceeds and devices benefiting survivors of domestic violence.

Verizon Wireless also offered more "green" tips for delegates and all wireless users:

• Unplug your charger when it's not in use.
• Download or preload directions in VZ Navigator to save fuel when traveling.
• Work from home - or elsewhere - with 3G wireless
   

Comment from Wireless and Mobile News:

It's kind of hard for politicians to work at home - they have to be present to vote on bills!

Black & Veatch, global engineering, consulting and construction company, announced  it has launched services designed to address sustainability challenges faced by wireless communications service providers.

These services address the increasingly important need for the wireless industry to proactively assess areas such as monitoring carbon footprint, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and implementing renewable energy usage.

The wireless industry faces challenges related to environmental and climate change regulations. Wireless service providers have hundreds or thousands of wireless cell sites across the territories that they serve. Each site is subject to local, state and federal zoning and regulation. The requirements determine where cell sites are located; materials used at each site, and the type of generation that can be used to provide electricity to each site.

Samsung showcased a new environment-friendly mobile hand set ma de from bioplastic, 'Samsung E200 Eco,' at the OR@S (Olympic Rendezvous @ Samsung) in Beijing.

The case is made from plant-materials extracted from corn. The candy bar phone comes in green and reduces fuel consumptions an d carbon emissions during the manufacturing process.

The E200 Eco features include a 1.3-megapixel camera, video messaging capabilities and an MP3 player. It comes in a non-coated recycled paper box, which is also environment-friendly. This mobile phone will be available on the European market from early September.

Other two eco-friendly phones, the W510 and the F268 were also showcased with Samsung E200 Eco at Green Zone in OR@S during the Olympic Games.

Samsung announced two eco-friendly phones made from cornstarch.

The SCH-W510 is called the "Bio Cover Phone" beause it uses bioplastic material made from cornstarch and is manufactured using an environmentally-friendly metal finishing process. Samsung did not use any heavy metals, such as Lead, Mercury, and Cadmium, in the phone and applied water-soluble coating.

Samsung will also provide the SGH-F268 free of BFRs (Brominated flame retardants) and PVC in China later this month. BFRs and PVC are also excluded from accessories such as chargers and headsets as well as from the cell phone itself. There are alarms on the charger that go off when the battery is completely charged

The Sony Vaio TZ11 notebook, the Sony Ericsson T650i mobile phone and the Sony Ericsson P1i PDA come out on top in Greenpeace’s “Searching for Greener Electronics” survey released t at CeBIT. But, the race for a green electronic product has not been won yet, each of these products scored just over half of the possible 100 points available to win.

Greenpeace is challenging electronics manufacturers to take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products - from production, through manufacture and to the very end of their products’ lives - and to clean up their products by eliminating hazardous substances and replacing harmful ingredients through safer alternatives or design changes while producing energy efficient products.

“Since undertaking the survey we have already witnessed the arrival of greener products in the market, such as the Apple’s new laptop, the MacBook Air, and Nokia’s new phone, the Evolve” said Yannick Vicaire Greenpeace International Toxics Campaigner. “Manufacturers still have a long way to go, but more and more are now taking the environmental impacts of their products seriously.”

“Manufacturers need to embrace a truly comprehensive approach. Consumers should not have to choose between a toxic free product or an, energy-efficient one. They should not need to ask if being recyclable is better than being durable. When a product offers all those standards and is marketed with consumer-friendly services expanding the lifespan as much as possible, then we can say there is a true green product on the market.

“The IT industry is capable of making all of CeBIT a Green Village, the question is how soon.” Concluded Yannick Vicaire.