It's often a close call when deciding if any 'green' product trumpted by a newly Earth-friendly electronics company is anything more than a PR exercise, but we'll give Samsung the benefit of the doubt over three new handsets made from bio-plastics.
The E200 Eco, W510 and F268 have just been announced at a Samsung-sponsored event in Beijing known, rather oddly, as the OR@S, or Olympic Rendezvous @ Samsung.
Ton for tons
Although the handsets are pretty standard tri-band GSM models, Samsung claims the corn-based bio-plastic used can create substantial savings in carbon-dioxide emissions.
For example, one ton of the material used in the casing of E200 Eco handsets results in over two tons less of CO2 emitted than if the plastic was oil-based.
Heavy metals
On top of that, the packaging is completely recycled and Samsung is looking to recycle the phones when they're no longer needed.
Samsung's Geesung Choi explained, "We strive to make more products as green as possible and to proactively set up and expand a phone recycling system."
As for the other handsets, the W510 is made without using heavy metals like lead and mercury, while the F268 shuns environmental toxins, including PVC. The E200 will hit Europe early next month, while the others are intended for China and Korea.
