•The volume of electronic waste generated globally has grown by 21 percent over the past 5 years, making it the fastest growing category of household waste.
•The Phantom X2 eco-friendly edition back cover contains 14.4 percent recycled material.
Image: HANDOUT
A new wave of electronics manufacturing is on an upward trend looking to satisfy the increasing demand for sustainability and mitigate the impact of climate change.
From reducing the amount of plastic involved to embracing more trade in for older models, manufacturers are increasingly embracing the circular economy to appeal to customers.
With the electronics industry accounting for 4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it requires substantial innovation to reduce its environmental footprint.
At the same time, global challenges like the climate crisis are making the firms rethink the business models.
Samsung’s Head of Mobile Division, Charles Kimari points out that customers are now demanding more accountability from manufactures.
“We continue being committed to continuing our sustainability journey and the spirit of open collaboration to deliver even more tangible climate actions,” says Kimari.
Hinting that the products to be launched in their unpacked next week will incorporate more sustainability features like reduced and recycled plastics.
The volume of electronic waste generated globally has grown by 21 percent over the past 5 years, making it the fastest growing category of household waste.
Despite this, only 17.4 percent of electronic waste is recycled.
In an effort to address this OPPO says it has adopted what “3R+1D” internationally recognized green packaging principles, in its bid to reduce the amount of plastic used in its packaging focusing on reduction, recyclability, reusability and degradable.
“OPPO has already established recycling programs and offered Trade-In service in different countries,” the manufacturer said in a statement.
The other phone maker that announced incorporation of sustainability in its manufacturing is Tecno, who have announced the use of recycled plastics in the manufacturing of their latest flagship the phantom X2
“The phone comes in an Eco-Friendly Edition featuring a pioneering microfiber back cover made from recycled plastics, the X2 Pro 5G also raises the bar for sustainable design in the industry,” said Tecno Kenya brand manager’ Brian Otieno
In total, the firm says each Eco-Friendly Edition back cover contains 14.4 percent recycled material.
Compared with virgin plastics, the use of recycled materials to manufacture the back covers reduces carbon emissions by approximately 38 percent.
Another trend that is shaping the Industry is Purchasing refurbished items which not only serves as a responsible and sustainable consumer choice, but it also plays a vital role in promoting a circular economy.
According to experts this is an economic model that aims to keep resources in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them before recovering and regenerating them.
By embracing this concept, communities can work towards reducing the need for new resources and minimizing waste.
Opting for refurbished items means that individuals are not only giving a new lease on life to products that would otherwise be discarded, but also reducing the demand for new products, thus reducing the strain on the environment in terms of the resources and energy needed to create them.