Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Biodegradable Cell Phones Sprout Into Flowers

Posted by michael on from the don't-get-them-wet dept.

Neurowiz writes "Tired of your cell phone and lusting after the new model with all the geek-gadgets? Worried about the effect that throwing away your cell phones may have on the environment? Worry not! 'Researchers at the University of Warwick's Warwick Manufacturing Group, in conjunction with PVAXX Research & Development Ltd, have devised a novel way to recycle discarded mobile telephones - bury them and watch them transform into the flower of your choice.' What's next? Plant your PC/Mac and watch a house grow?"

5 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. Marketing gimick? by jackelfish · · Score: 3, Informative

    While this is a cute idea, it is hardly a biodegradable cellular telephone. Based on what I could glean from the press release, all that is biodegradable is the plastic case. Biodegradable plastics have been around for a while now and this seems to be more of a marketing gimmick than anything else. Cell phone manufacturers, like Nokia, have had recycling programs for old cell phones in place for a few years now. These recycling programs deal with almost the entire cell phone and not just the plastic case (which could always be recycled anyways by taking apart the phone and pitching it into the recycle bin (if your municipality supports this)).

    --
    "When Nature Calls We All Shall Drown" Johan Edlund
  2. Re:Bell by Feminist-Mom · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yes you are correct. It was in 1981 and was called the "Earth Phone".

  3. Support food banks by Markaci · · Score: 2, Informative

    I'd rather support a foodbank. I think this process utilizes the entire phone instead of just the case.

  4. Re:911 and GSM phones: Pitfalls by Sneftel · · Score: 2, Informative

    GSM phones cannot be used to dial anything, not even 911, without a SIM card which is/was valid for the home service area of the phone.

    Sure they can, most of them. All of them manufactured since mid-2000. Over the summer I worked at a place that made cellphone games, and hence I was surrounded by dozens of phones without SIM cards. The GSM ones we used would all bitch at you if you tried to dial something other than 911 without a SIM card, but 911 dials fine. In fact, a lot of phones change their default menu to have a single option, to call the emergency line. I did that by mistake more than once.

    Of course, analog and CDMA will also dial 911 without a problem.

    --
    The opinions stated herein do not necessarily represent those of anybody at all. Deal with it.
  5. Re:Holy Junk Math! by |<amikaze · · Score: 2, Informative


    Close :).

    Watts is measured in Joules (energy) / second. If you multiply by time, you can either get Joules, or Watt-Hours (depending on how you scale it).

    Still 100 watts for 3 hours != 300 watts.