A call to turn green

MANILA, Philippines - I have always wondered why staunch supporters of a cause can sometimes be such turn-offs. 

I guess it’s because many of them are so “hard-sell.” You know the ones who tell you that everything you do, when it’s against their cause, will probably get you a one-way ticket to hell. 

This explains why, although there are many causes I do support, I prefer to do them in my own little way. This way, hopefully by the way I live, other folks will catch on. Saving the earth is one such cause. And because I am so addicted to technology and gadgets, I want to make sure that the latest techie device that I own is one that won’t harm the environment in any way — at least if that is at all doable. 

Nokia is one company that is truly concerned about the world we live in. For Nokia, it’s not just about coming out with the latest cellphone that is important. It says it wants to make sure that when it does come out with a new cellphone, it gives lots of thought as to how it would affect the environment. 

William Hamilton-Whyte, general manager of Nokia Philippines, said that based on their global survey taken last year, only three percent of people recycle their cellphones. “Others are giving their cellphones another life in different ways,” he added. “One quarter pass on their old phones to friends or family, and 16 percent sell their used devices, particularly in emerging markets.”

So, aside from the Nokia’s “Takeback and Recycling Campaign” which started last year, the Finnish com-pany is also committed to manufacturing new cellphones, which are environmentally friendly.  Enter the Nokia 7100 Supernova, which is the first Nokia cellphone to be manufactured without brominated compounds. Many brominated chemicals are coming under increasing criticism because it is believed that these chemicals, including PBDE, could have harmful effects on humans and animals. Nokia cellphones are also PVC-free and RoHS (restriction on the use of certain hazardous substances and electrical and electronic equipment) compliant. 

The Nokia 7100 Supernova is a slider cellphone that is practical and fun to use. 

Why did I think that not harmful to the environment meant less high tech? Because every time someone says environment-friendly, a light pops in my head that says “back to basics.”

Still high-tech

The Nokia 7100 Supernova has a two-inch QVGA TFT screen displaying up to 65k colors with screen resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. I like it because it fits snugly into my small palm. That is a big plus for me because it means it is easy to slip into a pocket or into my bag when I am in a mad rush.  

I liked that I was able to connect quite easily to the Internet because of the Opera Mini 4 Browser and WAP Web browsing technologies. And yes, it is EDGE- and GPRS-supported. The 7100 Supernova operates on a dual-band network and covers GSM-900/1800.

The rest of the features of the 7100 Supernova are rather basic when it comes to Nokia cellphones: the built-in music player which supports AAC, MP3, WAV, AMR and MIDI music formats. It is equipped with a 1.3-megapixel camera, which has a dedicated camera key, making it loads of fun to shoot with.  

I also love the games on the 7100. Take your pick from CityBloxx, Backgammon, Snake 111 and Sudoku or download if you prefer. With the speeds of connection these days, downloading is really fast. 

The Nokia 7100 Supernova is a great compact cellphone. Although it is not considered part of the higher-end Nokia cellphones, it kept me well-connected both while surfing or checking e-mail. And it has all the functions that I have come to love in a Nokia cellphone — so it’s just great. It’s a cool-looker, too. 

Of course, that it has started a trend in terms of better caring for the world we live in makes it the best choice of gadget for me. 

Recycle please

“Using the best recycling technology nothing is wasted,” said Hamilton-Whyte. “Between 65 and 80 percent of a Nokia device can be recycled. Plastics that can’t be recycled are burnt to provide energy for the recycling process, and other materials are ground up into chips and used as construction materials or for building roads. In this way nothing has to go to landfill.” 

Aside from launching cellphones that are environment-friendly, Nokia recently promoted its local E-cycling program with Bantay Kalikasan. For every kilo of raw materials collected, Nokia makes a donation to Bantay Kalikasan for the continued rehabilitation of the La Mesa Watershed.

“For many years now, environmental concerns have played a key role in the way we design and produce devices,” said Markus Terho, Nokia director for environmental affairs and markets. “The recently launched Nokia 5630 XpressMusic and the Nokia 7100 Supernova are good examples of this; they have many of our latest energy-saving features and environmentally engaging software and services which will be seen in other Nokia products in the future.”

Although the Nokia 7100 Supernova is an environment-friendly device, Terho said Nokia does not market it as a “green” device. Rather, the Finnish company puts its environmental improvements into all of its devices so that consumers know that when they buy a Nokia handset they are sure that the environment had been considered in its making.

“Being environmentally minded is important as to who we are and our brand,” quipped Terho. “We do it because it makes good business sense and also because it’s the right thing to do.”  

* * *

For those who want to donate their old phones, batteries, and accessories and help in the environmental cause, Nokia will have collection bins in all Nokia Care Centers and select Nokia Stores as well as at ABS-CBN, Ayala Cinemas and Powerplant Mall. 

* * *

Some of the environmental improvements that Nokia devices have are:

• Energy-efficient chargers. These chargers reduce zero load energy consumption by 90 percent.

• Unplug alerts. Adding alerts remind people to unplug their chargers once the battery is full.

• Materials. Nokia targets to make up to 80 percent of any Nokia device recyclable, and phasing out the use of materials like PVC.

• Packaging. Cutting packaging in half, reducing the use of paper materials by 100,000 tons.

• Energy ranking. Leading the development of an industry-wide energy ranking for chargers, helping consumers choose the most efficient chargers, and encouraging the industry as a whole to further increase energy efficiency.

• No charger. Piloting offering people the choice of not getting yet another charger included in the sales box when they get a new device, both to reduce the number of chargers produced and minimize the packaging and logistics footprint and waste.