Samsung celebrated Earth Day on April 22 in the US by launching, in partnership with Sprint, another environmentally-friendly mobile phone called the Samsung Restore Eco Phone.
Samsung claims the phone has environmental credentials by being made from 84 percent recyclable bio-plastic, having an Energy Star Version 2.0 qualified energy efficient charger and completely recyclable packaging, with a cardboard box made from 70 percent post consumer materials and printed with soy ink. In addition, the phone’s release coincides with the replacement of the user manual with an accessible online version.
The Samsung Restore also gives users instant access to a variety of eco-friendly information and provides tips on how to adopt a greener lifestyle. The Restore differs from other smartphones in that Samsung are directly targeting the new phone at consumers who attach a high priority to adopting an environmentally-sustainable way of living – people who want to avoid their old mobile going to landfill.
In addition to releasing the Restore Eco-Phone, Samsung also claim they are demonstrating their commitment to the environment by providing Energy Star qualified power adapters for mobile phones and by operating their “Mobile Take Back” project. This allows consumers to send their handsets to Samsung free of charge for safe disposal. Samsung say this has been widely welcomed and they are aiming by the end of the year to have collected one million mobiles for recycling.