Who is Responsible for Green Mobile Phones?

Posted May 9th, 2008 by Kathryn in Green Mobiles / Environmental Issues

Ask the average person why he isn’t more earth-friendly with his mobile phone and he’ll probably give you a reason that is basically a shirking of responsibility. Individuals typically feel like there is very little that they can do to be green with their mobile phones because cell phone manufacturers and carriers make it so hard to be green. Indeed, it is the responsibility of both of these larger groups of people to work on making green phones more readily available and affordable to their customers. However, it is also the responsibility of individuals to push for green to dominate the mobile market. It is only through the interaction of all three parties (manufacturers, carriers and individuals) that there will truly be a green movement in the mobile phone world. And when those parties fail, the responsibility falls to legislators to get green back on track.

The Green Role of Manufacturers

Manufacturers are the ones that really have the power to create green phones and make them available to the market. The designers who build phones have the ability to make choices which will ultimately lead to greener practices in the industry. Some of the eco-friendly choices that manufacturers in the mobile phone market are making today include:

• Choice of materials. We all know that there are toxic materials in many of our cell phones; that’s one reason that they have to be recycled instead of going to the dump. Cell phone manufacturers have the option of finding healthier non-toxic alternatives to these materials. These are better for the earth and probably better for the consumer using the phones. LG has been a leading manufacturer in this area although other mobile phone manufacturers are working on it as well.
• Energy efficiency. Another major area where mobile phone manufacturers can opt to be green is in creating energy-efficient phones. This includes looking at alternative energy options such as solar-powered phones or battery chargers. However, it can also be as simple as implementing small changes in the design of existing mobile phones. For example, companies can reduce standby power of their phones so batteries last longer. Several companies are doing this but Motorola is one big name that stands out here.
• Recycling programs. It is increasingly common to see mobile phone manufacturers get involved in the recycling of their old phones through take-back programs and other methods that make it easier on individuals to engage in e-waste recycling.
• Attention to packaging. Manufacturers don’t just sell phones off the shelf; they have to package those phones. Increasingly, there’s a trend towards reducing the amount of packaging that is used for mobile phone sales as well as towards using recyclable or sustainable packaging materials.
• Raising awareness. Manufacturers can also play an active role in raising awareness about green mobile phone practices through educating their consumers. One company that has led the way in this area is Nokia which has a green resource center on its website to provide consumers with basic tips about being a more eco-friendly user of their products.
• Green company practices. Manufacturers can also implement green practices into their own businesses. Everything from using energy-efficient climate control in their buildings to allowing some employees to telecommute can make their impact on the world a little greener. Although this doesn’t directly green the mobile phone itself, it makes the industry more eco-friendly as a whole.

The Green Role of Carriers

Although manufacturers may have more power than carriers to start the green cycle, the carriers also play an important role in contributing to the eco-friendly habits cultivated by manufacturers. Some examples of these efforts include:

• Recycling programs. Even more so than manufacturers, carriers are getting heavily involved in offering programs that make it easy on individuals to recycle their old mobile phones. Major U.S. companies including Sprint, AT&T and Verizon all have programs like this in place.
• Reducing shipping packaging. Carriers can learn a lesson from manufacturers in reducing the amount of packaging that they use when shipping their phones.
• Encouraging green habits by customers. Carriers interact with cell phone users much more regularly than manufacturers do so they play an important role in encouraging their customers to develop green habits. Many companies strongly urge customers to use paperless billing and other green services.
• Green company practices. Just like manufacturers do, cell phone carriers can implement green practices in their own businesses in order to reduce the eco-harm that they do to the world. A major effort from carriers has been to reduce energy consumption in their own buildings while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Green Role of Individuals

With all of these efforts being made by carriers and manufacturers, the path has been paved for individuals to more easily adopt green mobile phone practices. Some of the specific actions that individuals can take to be more eco-friendly in their phone use include:

• Recycling. This is the most common thing that individuals do to be greener mobile phone users and they should keep on doing it. Recycle the packaging that the phone comes in, too!
• Reduce phone consumption. Don’t buy every new mobile phone that comes out and don’t spend unnecessary amounts of time on the phone.
• Use paperless billing and other green services that are offered to you as a customer.
• Get educated. Learning more about green practices through the resources made available by carriers and manufacturers will help you be greener each day.
• Support the carriers and manufacturers that are going green.

For more information on what you can do to be a green cell phone user, check out our simple Lazy Man’s Guide to the green mobile phone.

Others Who May Take a Green Role

In addition to these three groups, there are other small groups which may play a role in making the mobile phone industry greener. For example, non-profits may get involved in recycling mobile phones for use in third world countries. Additionally, gadget makers may work on creating mobile phone accessories and products that are sustainable and earth-friendly. And even those people who work in mobile phone journalism can focus their efforts on reporting green news in order to make the industry more aware of its eco-issues.

The Green Role of Legislators

It’s nice to envision a world in which all of these parties work together to create a green mobile environment. We’re certainly seeing steps taken in that direction as mobile phone manufacturers, carriers and individuals all begin to realize that they need to be more earth-friendly in their mobile use. However, relying on these groups to work together is often not enough to ensure that change will happen. That’s where legislators step in and play their role in greening the mobile industry.

Legislators in various parts of the world have taken actions which encourage green mobile phone practices. They have made rules against the use of certain toxic chemicals in the development of new mobile phones. They have begun to require that mobile phone waste be recycled. And they have offered incentive programs through grants to non-profit agencies that are involved in implementing green mobile phone projects. Through a combination of deterrents and incentives, legislators can set the tone for encouraging green practices at all levels of the mobile phone industry.