Major UK mobile service provider, O2, has launched the first ever sustainable rating system for mobile handsets.
In the wake of survey results indicating that 44 per cent of the mobile giant’s customers would be influenced by environmental factors when deciding on a mobile phone, O2 has designed a new scheme that will allow it to rate mobile handsets produced by various firms. The newly founded Eco Rating will score phones out of 5, and currently the Sony Ericsson Elm has received top marks with 4.3.
The scores will be published both online and in the service provider’s retail outlets. Eco Rating was designed as part of a partnership between the mobile firm and a collaboration of sustainability experts and handset manufacturers.
According to O2, there are at least 4.1 billion mobiles in circulation around the globe leaving a carbon footprint of over 100 million tonnes. Every minute, a mobile handset gets replaced in the UK at a rate of 1712 handsets per minute.
O2’s new Eco Rating will provide manufacturer information and independent research to give a comprehensive scoring of the environmental impact of a particular make and model. Factors will include the materials used, the energy efficiency of the device, the longevity of the handset and how easy it is to recycle or reuse.
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