Samsung’s Bioplastic Phone Hits Stores

The much-anticipated Samsung Reclaim phone hits stores next week, becoming the first phone in the U.S. made in part from bioplastic, a material used often in other industries but widely unused in the electronics industry.

The full featured QWERTY phone, being sold by Sprint, is made of 80 percent recyclable materials and packaged in 100 percent recyclable packaging that includes 70 percent recycled content. And when you open your new phone, don’t think you’ve misplaced your user manual – there isn’t one. The typical thick paper user manual has been replaced with a virtual manual consumers can access online.

The Reclaim is a part of Sprint's sustainability agenda, which includes a goal to reach a 90% collection rate for phone reuse/recycling by 2017. Photo: Sprint

The corn-based bioplastic makes up 40 percent of the outer casing. Reclaim is free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates and is “nearly” free of brominated flame retardants (BFR). The phone’s charger is also energy-efficient. According to Sprint, the charger is Energy Star approved and consumes 12 times less power than the Energy Star standard for standby power consumption.

Also, each sale of the Samsung Reclaim will donate $2 to The Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre program, which supports land conservation across the U.S. “This generous donation from Sprint will help us protect and restore some of America’s most beautiful and ecologically important landscapes for future generations to enjoy,” said Mark Tercek, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy.

The eco-friendly mobile, doesn’t sacrifice technology in the name of going green (my initial concern). It contains a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Sprint Navigation, 2 megapixel camera with a 3x digital zoom and camcorder, 32GB expanded memory storage, an integrated Web browser and more.

Our favorite part: With the touch a new green One Click keyboard tile, users are directed to several green apps including Discovery Channel Green Guides and Glossaries, and  “All Things Green,” a Sprint Web category providing green headlines and downloadable content.

The Reclaim mobile will be available in all Sprint retail channels Aug. 16., including Best Buy and Radio Shack. The phone will be available in Wal-Mart in early September.