With money concerns high on everyone’s agenda lately, it may be time to spare a thought for the issue that used to dominate the media before we realised that we’d have to pay an extra 25p a day for a latte: the environment.
Yes it’s still lurking around us and yes, we’re still not doing a huge deal to protect it, but thankfully big name companies like Sony Ericsson have stepped in to try to help make a difference.
Sony Ericsson are releasing two phones are part of the company’s GreenHeart programme, which has a main goal of reducing the CO2 foot print of all Sony Ericsson handsets. The first is a GreenHeart version of the C901 Cybershot while the other handset is simply called Naite’.
Feature-wise, the GreenHeart C901 slots in nicely with the rest of the Cybershot range, packed with a 5-megapixel camera, 2.2-inch TFT display screen, FM Radio, Bluetooth and a memory card slot.
‘Ling’ is more of a handset you would distribute around the office. It’s low on funky features, but it does the job of a mobile phone, and makes a pretty good green alternative to the other non-descript handsets floating around the sales department.
What makes the C901 and ‘Ling’ stand apart from the rest of the SE pack is the enviro-cred you get with them. Both handsets are made from at least 50 per cent recycled plastic and both come in a shrunken box to reduce packaging.
The manual of each phone is also electronically inside each handset, so no more bits of paper for you to lose.
GreenHeart handsets use water based paint instead of solvent based, so that there are no harmful toxins released into the atmosphere when the phone will eventually meet its maker (figuratively speaking).
The GreenHeart phones also makes use of its accelerometer in a green-ish way. It comes with a app that turns the phone into a pedometer and will calculate how much CO2 you’ve saved by walking to the shops instead of taking the car. Granted this function won’t actively reduce greenhouse gas emissions- that’s more up to you. For what it’s worth it may help you keep more mindful of the environment as you fulfill your bacon buttie craving.
The price of the Greenheart C901 will be comparable to the C902, but won’t be any cheaper. SE say that any savings they make by reducing paper on the manual and by reducing cardboard in packaging goes towards further green research.
Sony Ericsson’s GreenHeart initiative is a CO2 footstep in the right direction, and SE say that all of its future phones based on its new platform will be part of the GreenHeart programme.