It's always nice to report on a company striving for eco credibility, that green label being all so important for companies who at least need to be seen to be doing something, even if the impact of their actions is limited.

In this case Orange are starting their Recycle & Reward scheme, which enables people to recycle their old mobiles, laptops and personal music players in UK Orange stores in exchange for cash. The company reckons that "two thirds of Brits have old mobiles gathering dust in their homes which equates to approximately 90 million unused handsets worth approximately ?450 million".

The company also states that the scheme is: "Underlining Orange's commitment to becoming a more sustainable, greener business, Recycle & Reward will help reduce the amount of electronic goods sent to landfill and, instead, help consumers obtain a competitive price for them".

In store you'll be able to find out how much your old unit is worth and after you've left the unit with them Orange says you should receive a cheque within 7 days. Examples of of the amount of money you can expect to receive for particular items include, up to ?85 for Nokia N95, ?75 for a Sony Ericsson C905 and ?95 for a Samsung SCH 900. Orange will also recycle electronic devices and accessories with no monetary value.

Orange is also offering a "Copy and Keep" service to enable customers to transfer essential contacts, music, and photos in all Orange retail stores, an attempt to remove the hassle of transferring the data yourself. The service is free to all Orange care customers and if you're not part of their gang then it'll set you back ?6.

Paul French, head of care products said: "At Orange, we’ve made some significant strides recently in reducing the environmental impact of our business. For instance, 80% of our electricity now comes from renewable sources while in July we introduced the mini-SIM to
reduce the amount of waste associated with new SIM cards Recycle & Reward is just another small step, for us as a business and for the public, in our journey towards greener, more sustainable practices".

There doesn't appear to be any mention in the release of where and how the products are to be recycled, or whether they will be sold on to - for want of a better term - emerging markets.

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Tags: Phones Eco Orange Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Orange launches Recycle & Reward originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Toshiba has announced the launch of a new "Trade-In" programme describing it as "an initiative designed to help consumers offset the cost of buying a new laptop whilst ensuring that their old laptop is disposed of in an environmentally sustainable way".

When purchasing a new Toshiba Windows 7 laptop, consumers are offered up to ?150 cashback in return for their old laptop - dependent on its condition and specification.

Consumers can visit Tosh's site for an idea of valuation of their current model and then if they go ahead with the trade-in, will see their laptop collected by Toshiba's partner Tier 1 Asset Management who will pay out - assuming all is good with the device - within 10 days.

The Toshiba Trade-In programme is live now over at www.toshiba.co.uk/tradein and will run until 31 January 2010.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Toshiba Eco

Toshiba offers laptop "Trade-In" scheme originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:51:38 +0000

Amazon has announced the introduction of its "Frustration-Free Packaging" scheme in the UK with a letter from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos blazoned across the UK homepage.

Launched in the States back in 2008, the scheme hopes to end what Amazon calls "wrap rage", described as "the frustration we humans feel when trying to free a product from a nearly impenetrable package".

34 items from SanDisk and Hama, as well as the Amazon Basics range will now offer "products inside smaller, easy-to-open, recyclable cardboard boxes with less packaging material and no plastic clamshells or wire ties".

Tags: Eco Amazon Online SanDisk Hama

Amazon launches "Frustration-Free Packaging" in the UK originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:19:30 +0000

Alyce Santoro and Julio Cesar offer men's ties made from recycled cassette tapes. Rather than just offering retro - and eco - appeal, the ties have a very unusual feature.

Made from 50% tape cassette tape and 50% polyester thread, it seems the tape retains some audio information - at least enough to be played via a hand-made reader.

Hit play on the video above to see a walk-through of how to make such a device from an old Walkman (complete with creepy sounds) while the ties are available in various designs at Supermarket for $90 each.

Thanks to Chris for the tip.

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Related links:

• Shop - Supermarket

Tags: Audio Clothing Ties Supermarket Eco Video Sonic fabric Walkman Tape cassettes Retro

VIDEO: Ties made from tape cassettes still play audio originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:43:28 +0000

Google's PowerMeter product is to debut in the UK from first:utility, a small, independent electricity and gas supplier, based in Warwick.

Google PowerMeter is a software tool that allows users to see a near-real-time display of their energy usage through their iGoogle account on their computer or mobile phone.

Enabled by first:utility's policy to supply smart meters to 30,000 of its customers the PowerMeter service is free to Smart Tariff customers, and is due to go live in early November.

"We share a vision with first:utility of providing consumers with access to information about their own home electricity use that will help them save energy and money", Ed Lu, Google PowerMeter's lead engineer, says.

"We need the help of innovative utility companies like first:utility to get Google PowerMeter into the hands of consumers, and we are delighted about this very first UK utility partnership".

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Tags: Home And Kitchen Google Software Online Eco First Utility Google PowerMeter

Google PowerMeter to debut in the UK from first:utility originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:52:47 +0000

Apparently launching as the first solar-powered Bluetooth headset to feature noise reduction, i.Tech Dynamic has introed the SolarVoice 908 Bluetooth headset.

The eco-friendly SolarVoice 908 offers background noise reduction with digital signal processing software to reduce audio distractions.

Boasting A2DP tech for music streaming the headset comes with ear buds said to be specifically designed to allow air to reach the ear canal, supplied in four sizes.

Complete with a headset cradle designed for desktop and in-car use, the SolarVoice boasts up to 5-hours talk time when juiced to the max. For those cloudy days, there's the ability to charge from the wall or USB port.

Available now in the Far East, the SolarVoice 908 goes on sale for HK$588 - around $75 or ?47.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone accessories Bluetooth iTech Dynamic Solar power Eco

i.Tech Dynamic SolarVoice 908 solar-powered Bluetooth headset launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:44:45 +0000

O2 has announced the launch of O2 Recycle, an online service that claims to make it easy for people to recycle old handsets in return for cash.

Run by Redeem, the service can be used by anyone in the UK, regardless of network, and as well as phones will accept MP3 players, digital cameras, GPS devices and other consumer electronics.

People can visit www.o2recycle.co.uk, enter details of their device, get an estimated value, print off a receipt while a pre-paid postage bag is sent to them to put the phone and receipt in and send back.

Once the device has been received and is confirmed to be in good working order, the customer receives a text to say that the money will be transferred to their account.

For every device O2 will donate ?1 to the "It's Your Community" charity while the products are sold on to global markets by Redeem.

Tags: Eco Phones Mobile phones O2 Redeem Gadgets Online

O2 offers online mobile phone recycling originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:02:55 +0100

Lenovo has unveiled five new "green" ThinkVision monitors, the ThinkVision L1711p, L1951p Wide, L2250p Wide, L2251p Wide and L2251x Wide.

The new line-up includes Lenovo's flagship monitor, the ThinkVision L2251x Wide, said to be the company's most "environmentally-responsible" monitor boasting recycled plastics and low power consumption.

The first TCO Certified Edge monitor, the ThinkVision L2251x uses 21 watts of power during operation, lower than the average 49 watts.

With chassis parts made of 65% recycled plastics, it also offers an ambient light and proximity sensor that turn the screen off when a user steps away. ?

The ThinkVision L2251x Wide also boasts a mercury-free panel and low halogen components and comes in packaging reduced by up to 44%.

Specs-wise the new range offers up to 1680 x 1050 screen resolution, a 1000:1 contrast ratio and a five millisecond response time while the ThinkVision 2551x Wide gets a built-in webcam and four USB ports.

The Lenovo ThinkVision L1951p Wide, L2250p Wide and L2251p Wide monitors will be available from 23 October for ?134, ?165 and ?176. ?

The Lenovo ThinkVision L1711p monitor will be available from 6 November for ?124 and the ThinkVision L2251x Wide monitor will be available in November for ?206.

Tags: Hardware Lenovo Monitors Eco

Lenovo launches five green ThinkVision monitors originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:09:19 +0100

In the States a college inventor has created an RFID-enabled coffee cup, allowing for wave-and-pay transactions in coffee houses without getting your wallet out.

While here in the UK NFC phones and RFID card systems have and are being trialled by both the London Underground and coffee shop type establishments, Chris Hallberg has taken a link out of the chain by adding the RFID chip directly to the cup.

The Smug Mug system will be in use sometime next year at a local Milwaukee coffee chain, Stone Creek Coffee, but Hallberg is hoping the concept might get picked up by larger companies looking to boost customer loyalty from time-pressed commuters.

The suggested price for the re-usable Smug Mug is $15, a price tag that include $5 credit for the relevant store.

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Related links:

• Link - Smug Mug

Tags: Gadgets RFID Biz Smug Mug Eco

Smug Mug adds RFID chip to coffee cup originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:16:12 +0100

Exspect has launched a range of new accessories for the Sony PSP Go that includes the usual cases and screen protectors you'd expect from such a company.

What you might not expect (no pun intended) are cases made from good, old fashioned hippy fave hemp.
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Made from 100% recyclable materials, the PSP Go hemp range is aimed at the "eco-conscious". ?

The hemp slip case features a pull tab, a sewn PSP logo and costs ?9.99 while the flip version goes on sale for ?14.99.

Leather slip cases are also available, as are privacy screen protectors, all on sale now from the likes of HMV and Play.com.

Tags: Eco Gaming PSP PSP Go Cases Exspect

Exspect offers hemp cases for PSP Go originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:19:42 +0100

Gocycle has shown off a 12.9kg version of its electric bike at the London Cycle Show.

Dubbed the BlackR, it shares most of its construction with the regular Gocycle launched earlier in the year, but with a careful selection of components, Karbon Kinetics have got the weight down from 16.2 to 12.9kg.

The BlackR features the same Cleandrive three-speed drive system, and the same injection-moulded magnesium frameset with the funky Pitstop Wheels (which detach simply by flicking open the levers) as the regular Gocycle.

The changes have been made by adding a lighter saddle, pedal crank assembly, handlebar stem and lithium battery.

It folds away into the same soft or hard packing case to make it easily portable, but isn't designed to complete with the likes of Brompton's folding bikes.

A spokesperson told us that it was still a concept model and as such doesn't have a street price, but it was highly likely that it would be coming to market. With the regular version costing ?1198, it won't be cheap.

The London Cycle Show is running at the Earls Court, London from 9-11 October.

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Related links:

• Link - London Cycle Show
• Link - Gocycle

Tags: Sports Fitness Gadgets Eco Gocycle Gocycle BlackR

Gocycle BlackR electric bike demoed originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:06 +0100

O2 has announced it is to offer the Sony Ericsson Naite - the first of the manufacturer's "GreenHeart" range.

With its overall carbon footprint said to be reduced by 15%, the Naite is made from recycled and recyclable plastics, comes with a low power consumption charger, reduced packaging and an e-manual.

Features for the 3G handset include Wi-Fi, a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, an FM radio and an expandable memory up to 8GB.

The Sony Ericsson Naite is free on selected pay monthly tariffs and ?97.86 on Pay & Go. As an added incentive Naite purchasers will be offered either a solar powered charger, a family Eco day out, an organic food hamper, or the option to give a donation to charity.

Hit play on the video above to have O2's big green cheese talk you through the new eco device.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Video Eco O2

VIDEO: O2 intros green Sony Ericsson Naite originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:11:58 +0100

T-Mobile has launched a new mobile application, the Recycle Guide, which it says "takes the confusion out of what you can recycle and where, both at home and on the go within the UK".

The app offers users info on exactly where the nearest recycling points are, drawn from the largest recycling database in the UK.

As well as info about standard items to recycle, there's also details on where to recycle items such as mobile phones and Christmas trees.

In addition, the Android version lets users pledge to recycle a certain amount and share that promise with a friend.

The application works on most modern mobiles and can be downloaded for free from www.thespark.t-mobile.co.uk or by texting RECYCLE to 80988.

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Tags: Eco T-Mobile Mobile phone apps Android Recycling Phones

T-Mobile offers free Recycle Guide mobile app originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:00:57 +0100

Google has put together a set of maps for its Google Earth application that model and simulate the effects of climate change on the planet. In a introductory video, narrated by Al Gore, the company has outlined how the planet could change as a result of human emissions.

Data from the IPCC was turned into a series of layers for the lapping product that show a range of expected temperate and precipitation changes depending on how the human population of the world reacts to the threat.

If you don't have Google Earth you can also view the changes on a special website that the company has put together for that purpose. There's a link to that below.

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Related links:

• News - Google Earth finds Loch Ness monster

Tags: Eco Software Google Google Earth Al Gore Video

VIDEO: Google Earth simulates climate change originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:37:53 +0100

Be.ez has announced two new additions to the LE vertigo notebook bag collection in "lime art" and "black/pumpkin".

Available in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, the LE vertigo bags position laptops in a vertical orientation, instead of the horizontal of most other bags.

Be.ez says the lime art and black/pumpkin bags are the first in the LE vertigo collection to be PVC-free, made from re-engineered materials and packaged in recycled paper packaging.

The 13-incher goes on sale for an RRP of ?49.90 while the 15-inch version is ?60.38, both available from www.eoutlet.co.uk.

Tags: Gadgets Cases Bags beez Eco

Be.ez LE vertigo bags available in new colours originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:42:08 +0100

Apple, keen to push its eco credentials after criticism from the likes of Greenpeace in the past, has launched a shiny new section on its site covering all things "environment".

Areas covered include energy efficiency, the recycle-abilty of products and Apple's free recycling programme, details of toxic materials and then and now comparisons for certain products.

There are also "product environmental reports" on all the current range products from the manufacturer, offering detailed breakdowns of what the products are made off, their power consumption levels and even their packaging.

Within the content, Apple has revealed its corporate carbon emissions for the first time.

"We're the only company in our industry that considers the environmental footprint of every product we make. And we're the only company to add up all our greenhouse gas emissions and tell you how they are distributed across - and beyond - a products lifespan", Apple says.

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Tags: Eco Hardware Apple Audio Phones MacBooks iPod iPhone

Apple launches "environment" section on site originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:05:43 +0100

Volvo is the latest car manufacturer to announce it is to make an electric car. The Swedish car co says from 2012, customers will be able to buy Volvo plug-in electrical hybrids.

These hybrids will be cars that can be recharged through a regular household electric socket.

With a conventional engine and an electric motor powered by a battery pack, the cars will run primarily from the battery with the engine cutting in when the battery runs out of juice.

Volvo has also said that it's looking into manufacturing battery-only city cars, with field tests of battery-only Volvo C30s due to take place in 2010.

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Tags: Car And GPS Volvo Eco Eco cars

Volvo to make plug-in electric cars originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:49:07 +0100

A Taiwanese company, AU Optronics Corp, or AUO, has announced one of its 32-inchers has become the world's first LCD TV set to get "Carbon Footprint Verification".

Claiming the move will "establish the benchmark on the carbon footprint management for consumer electronic products", it could perhaps herald a new era in eco consumerism.

Verified according to international carbon footprint standard PAS2050:2008, the TV has also been included in the UKAS PAS2050 Pilot Project by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service or UKAS.

The carbon emission calculation of AUO's 32-incher includes each stage of the product life cycle from raw material, manufacture, delivery, consumer use and then disposal, or recycling.

AUO says "through the indicator of carbon calculation, consumers will know well what the environmental impact is caused by the electronic products they use in the future".

Following this news, it will be interesting to see how long it takes before a product's "Carbon Footprint" starts to appear on packaging.

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Tags: Eco Televisions AUO Carbon Footprint Verification UKAS

AUO 32-inch TV gets world's first Carbon Footprint Verification originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:51:56 +0100

A company called Recompute has developed what it's calling "a sustainable desktop computer", made out of cardboard. It's the result of research into "lifecycle amortization for product sustainability" which looks at how products are manufactured, used, and disposed of from a design perspective.

The machine itself has won several design awards - a Design Distinction Award for the 2009 I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review in July 2009 and a placing in the top 10 of Core77's 2009 Greener Gadgets Contest.

Although there's no official specs yet, beta versions have had a 2.3Ghz AMD triple core processor, GeForce 6100 graphics card, 3GB of RAM, 8 USB ports and a 500GB hard disk. It comes dual-booted with Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.04.

The manufacturers have opened up a waiting list on the site, so if you're interested in getting your hands on one when it comes to market, then you can go sign up. Though there's no word of pricing yet, and given how much attention seems to have been given to the design, we don't expect it'll come cheap.

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Related links:

• News - BenQ V2400 Eco and V2200 Eco LED monitors announced
• Via - @reyes

Tags: Eco Hardware Desktop PCs Recompute Video

Recompute develops sustainable computer originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:50:57 +0100

Oregon Scientific has announced the launch of a new "+ ECO" range that includes a device to help monitor the temperature inside your home, with the aim of getting a better grip on your central heating, potentially saving money - and you know it's coming - the planet.

All the models in the range are solar-powered, with 4 hours of sunlight said to be enough to give the + ECO ClimaControl power for 2 months.

The + ECO ClimaControl can monitor the temperature and humidity in up to four rooms of your home, with an internal and an external sensor included with the device.

It also offers a 12- or 24-hour weather forecast, humidity alert, a radio-controlled clock, and calendar with backlight. It's on sale for an RRP of ?89.99.

The + ECO Solar Charging Radio Controlled Clock includes a calendar and single alarm, as well as indoor and outdoor temperatures. It's offered for ?49.99.

The + ECO Solar Weather Station provides a weather forecast for the local area 12 to 24 hours in advance. With a detachable solar charger, the clock is radio controlled and there's also an alarm and calendar. It costs ?69.99.

All models are available now from www.oregonscientific.co.uk.

Tags: Eco Gadgets Clocks Oregon Scientific Weather stations Solar power

Oregon Scientific launches solar-powered ECO range originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:17:12 +0100

Vers has announced a new line of hand-crafted wood cases for the iPod and iPhone.

Offering the "natural beauty and strength" of walnut, cherry and bamboo, the audio company is angling the cases as the most environmentally "thoughtful" available on the market.

"Wood is a wonderful feeling, natural material and every case has its own unique character. The real surprise is just how tough wood is", says a Vers bod.

With trees replanted for every case made, the Vers wood cases for iPhone, iPod touch and iPod classic are available now, priced from $39.99.

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Related links:

• News - Vers goes organic with bamboo 2X iPod speaker

Tags: Eco Vers Cases Audio Phones iPod iPhone accessories

Vers intros hand-crafted wood cases for iPods and iPhone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:52:03 +0100

BenQ has announced the launch of the V2400 Eco and V2200 Eco LED widescreen monitors.

The V2400 Eco is a 24-inch Full HD 1080p LED widescreen, while the V2200 Eco is said to be the world's first 21.5-inch Full HD 1080p LED widescreen display.

Apparently engineered with zero light leakage, the displays boast a dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1 while BenQ's "Senseye 3 Human Vision" tech claims to further enhance the image.

The new V Series model get an "eco" mode for an additional 30% less power consumption, all said to be without "compromising visual enjoyment".

With an off-centre design and offered in "snow white", the monitor's base boasts a built-in round holder, angled as ideal for "knick-knacks" or even as a "mini plant pot".

The two new displays will be available in the UK from October 2009 with the V2200 Eco due to cost ?169 and the V2400 Eco, ?199.

Tags: Hardware Monitors BenQ LED Eco

BenQ V2400 Eco and V2200 Eco LED monitors announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:43:27 +0100

Samsung has announced the launch of the the new XL2370 monitor, describing it as "groundbreaking", with the boast of being Samsung's highest performance display which incorporates "LED BLU" backlight technology.

With a 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution and a 2ms response time, there's a dynamic contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1 that claims to provide "rich realistic colours and dramatic depth of detail for consumers who want the ultimate in cutting edge display".

Samsung claims the 23-inch XL2370 is up to 70% slimmer than conventional monitors and uses 33% less power. Other environmental credentials come in with the fact that it's VOC-free, lead and mercury free, and is 100% recyclable.

The Samsung XL2370 will be available in November from both high street and online retailers, no pricing revealed.

Tags: Hardware Monitors Samsung Samsung SyncMaster XL2370 LED monitors Eco

Samsung XL2370 23-inch monitor announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:56:30 +0100