HOBI President Moderates Conference Panel on Role of Reuse
Your tablet and smartphone now play a significant part in how green you are!
Who has the ‘green’ thumb for smartphones? An article from Digital Trends maps out environmental practices of leading electronics manufactures and scales them from least ‘green’ to most ‘green.’
The main problem tablet and smartphone manufacturers run into is what exactly makes a device considered environmentally friendly. Design for disassembly is a huge determinate. Electronics that are not designed to be easily taken apart, precious metals extracted and scrap disposed of make it extremely difficult for responsible recyclers.
According to the article, “an Indian company called Wipro tops the Greenpeace list with 7.1 out of 10, followed by HP with a score of 5.7. Nokia, in third, is the best-placed smartphone manufacturer on the list with a score of 5.4 out of 10. Apple scores 4.5 and Samsung scores 4.2.”
Here are a few questions to consider:
- What materials are used?
- Where did the materials come from?
- How was the product manufactured with regard to worker conditions and pay, energy usage, and pollution?
- Where did the packaging come from and how was it made?
- How energy efficient is the device?
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How easy is it to recycle and what waste products will it leave behind at the end of its life?
Companies like HOBI International are not only environmentally friendly through business practices, but also in-office practices. Eco-friendly organizations use clean energy sources, recycle daily in-house and take eco-friendly initiatives to be assessed and certified to adhere to rules and regulations. HOBI is currently an R2 certified company at all three locations.
Buying refurbished electronics is another eco-friendly route consumers can take when purchasing a device. Refurbished electronics are tested for quality and usability before being remarketed back into commerce and is a way to keep used electronics from entering the ever-growing e-waste pile.
Before purchasing your next device, take into consideration its afterlife. How will your tablet or smartphone be recycled and what affect with it have on the environment not only where you live, but around the world as well.
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