Have you ever imagined living or
functioning each day without a phone? Some may still be able to say yes but the
majority today have become so reliant on cell phones, they cannot be able to
fulfil daily tasks without it. From larger inbox capacity to applications such
as calendar, memo, notes, and even wifi and internet search engines, the cell
phone has become the handy partner for the busy career people. These
innovations have not only introduced changes to human activities but have also
influenced our culture. As for those who just want to have fun, phone companies
have inserted cameras, photo applications, Siri, and lots of games into the
electronic device. Cell phones indeed make life easier and more efficient.
However, another issue to be
considered would be that of the environment. The large-scale mass production of
cell phones has long begun to take its toll on the environment. This is due to
the improper disposal of phone components such as its batteries that contain
harmful substances. According to the Ministry for environment of New Zealand,
“Mobile phones
contain a number of heavy metals which are toxic, such as cadmium, lead,
beryllium and antimony. Using a handset is harmless until it is thrown into the
landfill or illegally dumped. As the handset and battery degrade, they could
release heavy metals into the soil and groundwater. A nickel cadmium
rechargeable battery in a mobile phone is particularly hazardous because of the
high toxicity of the cadmium most contain.”
(The safe disposal of mobile phones 2014)
This is why a team of three
techies and researchers teamed up with Motorola, CYSO, CMNTY, and SOLON
ADVOCATEN in pitching an idea called Phonebloks.
Using the lean start-up method in doing business, they have opened their ideas
to everyone for consultation as prospective customers of the product. In their
product demo video, Dave Hakkens, Gawin, and Tomas Halberstad explain that we
usually throw away electronic devices and most of the time it is only just
because of a broken component. They
further explain that this is because these products are not made to last.
Furthermore, this makes electronic waste one of the fastest growing waste
streams of the world.
Phonebloks are phones made of detachable blocks from its battery to
its storage unit, cameras, Bluetooth, and wi-fi components. These are all
connected to the base in a manner where you try to piece lego blocks together
on top or at the bottom of a wide square lego base. The electric signals run
through the base and into the component blocks while two small screws secure
everything in place. That way, if one
component is broken, you can just detach that certain block from the base and
replace it with a new one. One can even customize his or her phone through the
same set of steps in adding new features such as a radio block, a camera block,
or even the screen and speaker. This
way, the phone is not put to waste. It is easy to use, easy to update, and is
environment friendly. (Our Goals 2014)
They are still looking for more
companies to partner with and for more support from the public in order to
mass-produce the phone. But if this product enters the market, not only can we
now have efficient and customized phones, we can now also reap the benefits of
this innovation without causing much harm and degradation to the environment.
This may also be the beginning of a sustainable, environment-friendly technological
advancement period.
Works Cited
Our Goals. March 8, 2014.
https://phonebloks.com/en/goals.
The safe disposal
of mobile phones. March 8, 2014.
https://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/waste/disposal-mobile-phones-aug06/disposal-mobile-phones-aug06.html.
Lara Gianina S. Reyes
2010 - 11072
