Sprint Pushes Phone Makers To Design for Reparability

With the publication of an updated environmental scorecard, Sprint is encouraging mobile phone manufacturers to increase the use of modular designs that will ultimately improve both the reparability and recyclability of devices.

For example, a phone’s LCD screen is often glued to the plastic cover, making reparability and recycling more difficult. If one of the components breaks or malfunctions, the entire part needs to be replaced instead of just the non-working component.

By using a modular design, only the non-working component is replaced, thereby reducing waste and expense through repairs instead of product replacement. It also allows for better recyclability of all components when materials like plastics, metals and glass can be separated easily into clean fractions.

Starting January 1, Sprint’s environmental scorecard now requires all phones go through the UL Environment certification process. In addition to reparability, the updated process also includes criteria that will drive more sustainable packaging. Sprint says the changes will ultimately reduce the company’s overall impact on the environment and save the company money.

“By being the first carrier to require all wireless phones to go through the UL Environment certification process, we expect to accelerate adoption of this standard throughout the wireless industry,” says David Owens, vice president-Product Development. “We believe adopting third-party certification, and elevating the sustainable criteria around our packaging and reparability, enables us to continue to push the envelope on sustainable product design and to drive more eco-friendly product options to our customers.”

Last year, Sprint announced its partnership with UL Environment – a subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) – to produce the first environmental standard for mobile devices across the entire wireless industry: UL-ISR 110. The first mobile phone to achieve UL Environment certification to UL-ISR 110 was Samsung Replenish from Sprint, which received Platinum certification, the highest level. The standard also provides guidelines for:

• sensitive materials usage
• energy management
• manufacturing and operations
• impact to health and environment
• product performance
• packaging
• product stewardship
• sustainable innovation

Sprint will now require that all postpaid and prepaid handsets go through the UL Environment certification process.

In December, UL Environment launched a new sustainability certification program that has been adopted by LG Electronics and Intuit, among others.

Bart King is a PR consultant and principal at Cleantech Communications.