Purchasing Transformation

With sustainability high on the agenda for many forward thinking manufacturers it seems inevitable that the consumer electronics segment would be quick to the plate especially with their somewhat shade past (check out this little primer in Cell phone recycling courtesy of The Secret Life Series).

Cell phones in particular seem to be the hot thing this summer; Sprint and Samsung just launched their Reclaim service and Sony Ericsson was a few weeks earlier with the launch of their Greenheart. Now whilst I applaud both of these initiatives, both Samsung and Sony Ericsson still have a lot of explaining to do.

The Samsung/Sprint Reclaim boasts 80% recyclable material and is made out of a bio plastic derived from corn. Unfortunately the sustainability dangers of a cell phone lie mostly in the other 20 % which most likely contains: Lead, Cadmium, Gold, Beryllium, Silver, Chlorine, Bismuth, Aluminium, Tin, Zinc, Copper, Chromium, Bromine, Arsenic, Nickel, Palladium and Tantalum.

Sony Ericsson takes another path down the sustainability highway; they focus more on Life Cycle Assessment – although they are careful to actually say anything – and CSR issues such as working conditions in Congo – one of the most corrupt countries in the world, which makes one wonder if there is a reason that Sony Ericsson actually need to get their Tantalum for their Greenheart phones from there. Never the less, Sony Ericsson have a constant information feed regarding these issues, so let’s hope their on top of their game.

Let’s just hope both of these forerunners are as open with their data as they portray themselves as being.