14 DAY TRIAL // Fujitsu have once again managed to amaze the audience as they announced their third generation of Biblo PCs at the Consumer Electronics Show. The notebook is fully functional and looks just like a common unit. While its interior is built with regular hardware, the outside casing is made out of plant-based plastic.
More to the point, Fujitsu has adopted a revolutionary polymer that is a mix of 50 percent plant-based materials, and 50 percent regular plastics. The environmental-friendly plastic is fully biodegradable and is made of regular ears of corn, processed down to corn starch, then turned into a polymer alloy. Using 100 percent corn polymers is currently impossible as corn-based plastics aren't rigid enough for laptop use. Moreover, these polymers cannot stand excessive heat and are more likely to burst in flames
According to the company officials, this new material cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions during the manufacturing process by 15 percent. The manufacturer has managed to keep the environmental friendly laptop prices as low as the regular ones.
This is not the first time Fujitsu has created a environmentally friendly laptop casing. Back in 2002, the smaller FMV Biblo was released. The notebook's case was made of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA). Some other Fujitsu green initiatives include castor-oil-based polymers that offer superior flexibility over the conventional polymers, while keeping a low impact over the environment.
The third generation of Biblo notebook PCs is a full-featured laptop, priced around $2,000. The notebook is currently available on the Japanese market only, but the manufacturer is considering extending its availability on the United States market, according to the senior vice president of marketing for Fujitsu, Ryan McCormack. However, in order to emerge on the US market, the notebook needs to pass certification, and the flame-retardation issue is quite important for UL and ISO approval.
Fujitsu promised to extend their eco-friendly line of laptops with units made of castor oil and even potatoes-based polymers, that offer the same energy-saving benefits as corn.