Motorola aims to send a greener message

The company has told EPN that the PC resin used in the housing of the Renew phone contains 25% recycled content, sourced from reground large PC water bottles such as those used in office water coolers.

The injection moulded housing is also designed to be removed and recycled at the end of the phone’s life. Motorola says trials have shown that the reground resin can be used to produce parts requiring similar mechanical performance as the original Renew housing parts.

The company has not disclosed who is supplying the PC compound or where it is sourcing the PC bottles from. However, it says that detailed and audited lifecycle analysis shows that the use of the 25% recycled content resin cuts the manufacturing energy requirement of each Renew housing by 20% compared with 100% virgin alternatives.

“The amount of energy it takes to mechanically grind up existing polycarbonate bottles is substantially less than the energy required to produce the same amount of polycarbonate plastic from oil resources,” a Motorola spokesman told EPN.

Aside from the use of recycled resin, Motorola has also redesigned the product packaging to cut environmental emissions and is offsetting the CO₂ generated in the production, distribution and operation of the Renew phone through a scheme operated by Carbonfund.org.

Motorola is launching the Renew phone initially in the US market but also plans to supply it to the Asian and European markets.

Motorola's Renew phone is produced using recycled polycarbonate water cooler bottles. THe company claims a 20% emission saving.