NEC says that it has developed a new form of bio-plastic that could be used for mobile phones and is 70% made from a mixture of cellulose, a main component of plant stems, with cardanol, a primary component of cashew nut shells.
Current bio-plastics include large amounts of oil-based additives, which results in a low plant component ratio. As an alternative to oil-based components, cellulose is the plastic's major ingredient. The cellulose, which is produced in large amounts by plants, including grass stems, etc. is extracted from cashew nut shells. Most of these stems and nut shells are abundant resources, which are often discarded by-products of the agricultural process.
NEC's newly developed bio plastic is claimed to resolve issues like non degradable waste produced majorly by telecom equipments, use of carbon based material for producing mobile handsets e.t.c. which in itself is a threat to already depleting carbon reserves. The company will continue with research and development towards mass production of this bio plastic and improve its suitability for a wide range of electronic equipment and expects commercial use in around three years time.
Eco-friendly phones are all the rage among handset makers these days. Lats year, Samsung also introduced its handset made up of bio degradable material. The new Samsung phone, called Reclaim, is a slider-style phone with a QWERTY keyboard and a 2 megapixel camera is made from 80 percent recyclable materials. A bio-plastic material made from corn makes up about 40 percent of the phone's outer casing. The device is also free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and nearly free of brominated flame retardants (BFR) materials that organizations such as Greenpeace have been actively lobbying to eliminate from gadgets.
The packaging for the phone and the phone tray inside the box was made from 70 percent recycled materials, claimed Samsung. Images and text on the box as well as the phone warranty information were printed with soy-based ink. And no thick paper user manual was offered with the phone. Reclaim’s charger is also Energy Star approved to meet efficiency standards.
Samsung became the third phone manufacturer, after Motorola and Sony Ericsson, to offer a device made from biodegradable materials.
Fortunately, more and more manufacturers are now using recycled materials and offering e-waste recycling via mail, however Je-Hyun Kim decided to cut out the middle man and designed a phone last year that automatically biodegrades as it reaches the end of its functional life. Je-Hyun Kim's Natural Year Phone concept carefully considered the life cycle of cellular phones, which are all too frequently disposed of due to obsolescence and the constant cycling of two-year contracts. Designed to last only for the length of its functional life cycle, the grassy green phone biodegrades and pieces apart for easy recycling after two years are up. Once the grassy casing has dissolved, the screen and soft keys can be easily recycled and integrated into a new phone.
akankshas@cybermedia.co.in
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