[LINK] News: 'New mobile phones will double as credit cards'

[Ivan Trundle]

On 28/04/2007, at 6:16 PM, Howard Lowndes wrote:

>> But to the point: I read somewhere today that AT&T (I think) in  
>> America are now embarking on a program to reduce phone handset  
>> consumption by offering rewards and bonuses if people did NOT  
>> automatically upgrade their phone. Their aim is to reduce the  
>> level of 'gadgetitis' and ultimately, landfill and waste. It's  
>> part of an overall 'green initiative' to reduce consumption and  
>> waste, which goes far beyond the normal 'let's recycle our  
>> packaging' mantra.
>
> I notice that my local Telstra Shop (Albury) has an in-store clear  
> dump bin for discarded mobile phones.

...which further contributes (eventually) to landfill, heavy-metal  
deposition etc, extra labour in deconstructing the materials,  
shipping of the materials to places where these processes take place,  
and the further re-use of the product down the track. In the end, it  
still costs us dearly. The impetus behind stopping people from  
upgrading to newer products when existing products work perfectly  
well (or reasonably well) is growing.

iT

--
Ivan Trundle
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