Slashdot Mirror
Biodegradable Cell Phones Sprout Into Flowers
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?"
Don't get me wrong, it's better than nothing, but nobody who buys one of these disposible cell phones are should think they're making an environmentally sound purchase because it might sprout a pretty flower someday. There's a lot more to the phone than just the case, and a lot of it isn't anything you'd want to see buried in your backyard -- batteries, plastic circuit boards, etc. In practice, it seems more likely that this will actually *harm* the environment as morons bury the whole thing once their minutes are used up, the whole time thinking they're being a responsible friend of the earth. Even if you're smarter than the average bear and read the directions about only burying the case, it's still *far* better to get yourself an cell phone on contract and use it for a few years before trading up than it is to go through a few of these things a year.
Of course, given the profession that tends to be the biggest customer for disposable phones, if you're concerned about the environment I'd also suggest that you should encourage your customers to recycle those glass vials you're selling them their crack in.
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
Plant your PC/Mac and watch a house grow?"
Wouldn't planting your Mac produce an apple tree?
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
Remember when there was a standard phone design in the old days ? Well At&t had a hard plastic version that was biodegradable in the early 80's as I recall.
I can't here you.
My phone is breaking up.
No, not the signal.
Yes, the actual phone. It's biodegradable.
I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
I need to bury now it so the flower will grow. Bye.
Plant your PC/Mac and watch a house grow?
Plant your mac, grow an apple tree, of course.
Plant your windows PC, grow some blue flowers... of DEATH!
Just don't get caught with a marijuana-themed phone. ^_^
Right is wrong when left is right.
a novel way to recycle discarded mobile telephones - bury them and watch them transform into the flower of your choice
WRONG! The summary would lead one to believe you can do this with present cell phones, but this is barely in the prototype stage, much less actually in use for years. If just the article submitters would RTA. Think you could do that next time?
The difference between spam and poop is that you don't have to dig through septic tanks looking for real food. -- Me
I didn't RTFA, but for some reason, I'm pretty sure this doesn't apply to the battery. Which is probably one of the more toxic parts of the phone.
How about building a phone that lasts more than 1 year. Or supplying a battery for the phone that costs little enough so that buying a whole new phone isn't an attractive option. If you told someone in 1950 that not only most people have portable phones in 50 years, but that they'd spend over $200 on this phone, and replace it ever year, they'd probably laugh in your face.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
Now we know why the flower in the Movie ET was a great significance. It was actually his cell phone.
Have you ever been to a turkish prison?
Where have all the cellphones gone?
Long time text messaging
Where have all the cellphones gone?
Long time to roam
Where have all the cellphones gone?
Gone to flowers every one
When can they hear me now?
When can they hear me now?
Mod Karma -1: I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
Watts over time gives you watt hours, not more watts. Time is already included in the watt unit.
If you take 100 watts for 3 hours, you don't get 300 watts as this totally bogus article says.
I certainly hope your post was a joke.
Now, instead of donating my old phones to one of the many charities that reprogram them and give them to those in need of ways to make emergency calls I can instead bury it in dirt! Where do I sign up?!?
[insert sig file here]
I'm going to throw away my phone right now into the garbage and buy this one.