Samsung have just unveiled their latest vacuum cleaner, which was developed with being nature-friendly in mind. The device sucks much better than the company’s previous models, which, combined with its energy-efficient design, makes it use 50% less power overall – that’s right, more efficiency at half the power consumption!

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With mobile phone handsets seemingly as changeable as the latest must-have fashion accessory, manufacturers are finally waking up to the need to make their product sustainable.

It is estimated that up to 100 million phones are thrown away each year in Europe alone. With the average user holding onto their handset for 18 months, and only 15% of these recycled, the carbon footprint from our portable friend is extremely high.

With the exception of a few ‘novelty’ handsets such as Samsung’s Blue Earth and LG’s proposed mirasol devices, few products have any environmentally friendly features. From the choice of phone materials, to energy efficiency and recycling programmes, manufacturers have plenty of work to do to promote greener practices within the industry.

Technology Moves On

With consumer demand for environmentally sustainable phones growing there are signs that the tide is beginning to turn. Whilst it is unlikely that we will see a production line of entirely ‘green’ mobile phones in the near future, many will have sustainable components and features built in.

Solar powered technology has come on leaps and bounds in the last decade. Samsung’s Blue Earth handset requires no recharging from an AC outlet and the device itself has been manufactured from recycled bottles.

Service Providers Play Key Role

Service Providers are also starting to play a more significant role. They interact with consumers far more frequently than manufacturers and recycling programmes; reduced packaging and paperless billing are all measures that are slowly being implemented.

As for the company or individual, recycling those old handsets is the most common way of being a greener mobile phone user. If you can resist buying that latest model and include the packaging in your recycling it’s a solid step on the way to being a bit more eco-friendly.

To find out more about recycling mobile phones and other waste electronic equipment, visit WeeeCare.

So, I am hanging out in Half Moon Bay, CA, home to some serious whale watching. But, this week it is hosting the LPGA Samsung World Championships.

The question – what does the LPGA have to do with green? The answer was just outside the media tent … the porta-potties. They are solar-powered. Now, to be sure, I am not sure what all that entails, but the things flush, the water runs and they are, by far, the cleanest such facilities I have ever used.

Samsung and Half Moon Bay – working hard to put on a first-rate tourney and do minimum harm to the world we live in, starting from the pots. How cool is that? And, if you keep your eyes peeled, you might even see a whale right off the coast.

Meanwhile, I am here covering the event for Golf Tribune. Please go there to read more of my ramblings.

Image courtesy of spiicytuna

There’s got to be a better way. There’s got to be a better way. Repeat after me. There’s got to be a better way. At least two more ‘better ways’ have taken a step forward in the past couple of days.

Germany’s Robert Bosch GmbH has agreed to work with South Korea’s Samsung SDI Co to develop the next-generation batteries for hybrid cars. Bosch is the world’s top parts maker and Samsung is, um, Samsung. In a 50-50 joint venture, the two giants will spend some $500 million over the next five years to improve on the lithium ion battery for hybrids, then sell them to GM, Ford Motor, Hyundai and any other takers.

In short, they will spend the next five years chasing Toyota and Nissan. Toyota is working with Matsushita Electric and Nissan has formed a partnership with NEC Corp.

The goal – bring down the costs of the hybrid car battery and in turn bring down the overall costs of the more eco-friendly cars. Presently hybrids go for as much as $5000 more than their gasoline counterparts, they are better on the environment but not the wallets of consumers. That’ll change.

Meanwhile, Honda Motor Co is even farther ahead with the launch of the Clarity hydrogen-fueled car for lease in the United States.

Source: Nikkei (sub req)