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?"

Comments

It's *not* a biodegradible cell phone.

[Skyshadow]

It's not a biodegradible cell phone. It's a biodegradible cell phone case. As in the thin plastic shell that covers the guts of the phone. As in maybe 5% of the total bulk of the phone.

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.

Re:It's *not* a biodegradible cell phone.

[RangerRick98]

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.

Agreed. And even better than burying the case and throwing the rest away would be to donate the old phone to a women's shelter or something similar, since they can be used to dial 911 even when no service is attached to it.

Plant a Mac

[mopslik]

Plant your PC/Mac and watch a house grow?"

Wouldn't planting your Mac produce an apple tree?

Re:Plant a Mac

[ad0gg]

Speaking from using Macs in my digital art class in college, a marijuana plant is more like it.

Future things you'll overhear

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

What's next?

[Japong]

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!

Weed

[romper]

Just don't get caught with a marijuana-themed phone. ^_^

Sprout Flowers

[CastrTroy]

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.

If a Cell Phone Falls In the Forest

[Tackhead]

If a cell phone falls in the forest...
...can you hear me now?

Holy Junk Math!

[ivan256]

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.