14 DAY TRIAL // AT&T has joined the ranks of environmentally friendly companies by announcing the transition towards smaller and more eco-friendly packaging for all its wireless accessories. In addition to this, the company has also presented a set of new requirements for mobile-phone manufacturers in an attempt to reduce the environmental impact of the next generations of handsets.
The packaging improvements for batteries, data cables and chargers will reduce the wasted plastic and paper quantities by over 200 tons in 2010, according to AT&T. A study conducted by earth911.com shows that recycling a ton of paper will save more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space, while the same quantity of plastic will save 7.4 cubic yards. The transition to a more eco-friendly approach undertaken by AT&T will reduce the landfill space with approximately 1,100 cubic yards, enough to house ten school buses.
Future accessory packaging will require less plastic and paper, due to the size reduction and the use of more eco-friendly materials. Battery and data-cable packaging will go from the clam-shell style to a smaller, recyclable paper box, while the protective phone cases will become slimmer. These changes will determine a reduction of 60 percent of the paper and 30 percent of the plastic currently used in the manufacture of the mobile-accessory packaging. Also, the standard ink used to print these packages will be replaced by non-petroleum-based inks.
“These improvements are sound business decisions, but more importantly, they significantly reduce the impact of this packaging on the environment,” Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T, said. “This is a small but meaningful next step that AT&T decided to take, and we are pleased to deliver new packaging alternatives that are recycled, can be recycled, and generate less waste.”
The environmental requirements introduced by AT&T in 2009 were developed in collaboration with the mobile-phone manufacturers and are becoming visible in the mobile-phone and accessory-packaging industry. These requirements are to be met by the end of 2011:
- The majority of new devices will comply with the GSMA Universal Charging Solution, enabling customers to use a single charger for all their devices. - New devices will comply with the Hazardous Substance mandate issued by the European Union, eliminating the use of lead or mercury in the mobile-phone industry. - Suppliers will have to use recycled materials and non-petroleum based inks, as well as reduce packaging for new devices. - Three quarters of the new devices will be 65% recyclable. - Suppliers will have to guarantee that all devices delivered to AT&T do not contain virgin materials mined in conflict zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo.