Green Tech: Are The Eco Friendly Sony Ericssons Green Washing?

Sony Ericsson is doing its bit for the environment with the launch of two new ‘green’ mobile phones under the Greenheart banner.

Sony Ericsson claim the new models are eco-friendly and cheaper to run. They also say the new phones won’t compromise on product design or functionality.

Made from up to 50% recycled plastics, the C901 Greenheart (image left) is a mid-range mobile complete with a five-megapixel camera, geo-targeting, quad-band GSM connectivity, no paper manual and a screen which uses less power than other phones. Its display light sensor uses less energy, and the C901 is coloured with waterborne paint which lowers exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC).

It comes with the MH300 headset, which, according to Ericsson, is the greenest device of its kind. It is made up of recycled plastic in four out of five hard plastic parts, far exceeding minimum legal environmental requirements.

The other mobile phone, the Naite, has a two-megapixel camera and can read microSD cards but no M2 models. Its low-power charger consumes up to seven times less power than the industry average. Other eco-friendly features include an Ecomate application which helps users to make ‘greener’ choices in their daily lives, as well as a Carbon Footprint Calculator which shows the amount of CO² saved by walking instead of taking the car.

Less packaging also helps reduce carbon emissions – traditionally packaging has been one of the most environmentally damaging aspects of mobile phone use.

Overall, the carbon footprint over the full life of the C901 GreenHeart and Naite is reduced by 15% when compared to other mobile phones.

In the past, mobile phones have been blamed for a wide range of environmental disasters, from their heavy metals such as mercury and lead, which have been linked with cancer if released into the environment, to producing radiation which stops bees pollinating crops, leading to failed harvests.

So the new models from Sony Ericsson, set to come on to the market within the next few months, should be seen as encouraging, and ought to please the green lobby.

But, since Sony Ericsson has not yet released the price of either model, it remains to be seen whether the company will put its money where its mouth is by making the ‘green’ phones affordable to most users as well as environmentally friendly. Failure to do so could lead to these launches being described as ‘green washing’, or paying lip service to ecological issues.

And, with more than four billion global users of mobiles, can the Naite and C901 ever be more than the smallest of steps towards genuine sustainability?

Source: press release. Image: sony ericsson press image