When it comes to a commitment to earth-friendly products, Sprint isn’t just phoning it in. One-upping the competition in the green technology race Thursday, Sprint released its Samsung Reclaim, the first cellphone made of eco-friendly bioplastic materials. Constructed with 80 percent recyclable components, the new smartphone’s cover is made from 40 percent corn-based biodegradable plastic. And that’s not all. The EnergyStar-rated device’s charger is 12 times more energy efficient than standard cellphone chargers, and Sprint has also eliminated its paper owner’s manual, now offering a digital-only version online. More, and this is key, the Reclaim is free of toxic PVC plastic and nearly free of toxic brominated flame retardants.
Like Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola, Sprint Nextel aims to become the world leader in green technology, and they definitely have the edge. At least on the future. During the Reclaim’s unveiling at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the telecom giant announced that by 2015, it planned to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent, also pledging that by 2013, all of its wireless devices will exceed environmental standards set by environmental groups. With millions of used cellphones ending up in public landfills, Sprint also announced Thursday that it aims to expand its current 35 percent phone recovery rate. By 2017, it pledges to recycle 90 percent of its products.
With a price tag of $49.99 (after rebates with a two-year service contract,) the phone will be available for purchase on Aug. 16, with $2 of each sale’s proceeds going to Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre program.