Covestro has ventured into the production of Post-Consumer Recycled Polycarbonate (PCR) for the back cover, the central frame and the wireless cell phone charger.
Covestro has ventured into the production of Post-Consumer Recycled Polycarbonate (PCR) for the back cover, the central frame and the wireless cell phone charger
Cell phones and smartphones have become almost ubiquitous items among the world’s population. Its global use, however, could have a negative impact on the environment, even greater than that generated by its manufacture.
It is estimated that the daily use of a phone requires a lot of energy to run the data centers and the infrastructure that allows making video calls, watching movies, sharing on social networks or listening to music.
According to Covestro, a call from one cell phone to another lasting only one minute produces 0.1g of CO2; sending a text message produces 0.014g, while using 1GB of cellular data uses 300g of CO2.
Mexico, among the largest generators of electronic waste
It is estimated that in our country there are more than 80 million users with a smartphone, that is, approximately 62% of the population has this technology that is already included in the basic basket.
This has led the United Nations Organization (UN) to consider that Mexico heads the list of the largest generators of “electronic waste”, since each inhabitant produces 3.2 kilograms on average annually. This progressive increase is mainly due to the increase in the consumption rates of electronic devices, the short life cycles and the scarce repair options.
Covestro’s response
To address this problem, Covestro, a leading company in the manufacture of high-performance polymers, has ventured into the production of Post-Consumer Recycled Polycarbonate (PCR) for the back cover, the central frame and the wireless cell phone charger.
The company highlighted that smartphones generate more greenhouse gases than any other consumer electronic device, the extraction of components is deeply problematic, because in addition to polluting the atmosphere, the process destroys ecosystems and generates tailings, toxic by-products that seep into the ground. and to the water.
For this reason, Covestro is collaborating with Fairphone, a Dutch social enterprise that is creating a green smartphone market, in using circular material solutions for its smartphones.
Covestro polycarbonate has physical properties comparable to virgin material and offers good impact resistance and high stiffness to ensure long product life, while reducing CO2 emissions by 30% compared to production traditional. In this way, the company of German origin remains at the forefront in the production of high-performance polymers that are friendly to the environment.
