Motorola Renew W233 shoppers advised on energy waste

Consumers shopping for a greener mobile phone – such as the Motorola Renew W233 – may be interested in the comments of one expert this week.

A spokesman for Mobile-Phones.co.uk, an independent comparison website which looks at the tariffs and devices available in the UK, said the public needs to assume more responsibility in cutting their carbon footprint.

Thomas Newton, lead content writer at the online resource, cited a recent report in which it was noted around 85,000 tonnes of CO2 is being generated every year as a result of people over charging their mobiles.

He added consumers and operators need to take the blame for the scale of the problem and issued some advice for manufacturers to help address the issue.

“Print an average charging time clearly on the packaging of the box, or release it as a specification alongside other battery statistics such as talk time and standby power,” the expert noted.

The report also highlighted the fact the average device takes between two and three hours to be fully charged, but it was suggested more users need to be made aware of this.

Mr Newton concluded by suggesting the introduction of a universal charger as a way to eliminate unnecessary waste “as consumers would be able to use the same charger for a Nokia or Sony Ericsson”.

Earlier this year, the GSM Association said it and 17 other mobile operators and manufacturers were committed to the development of a universal charger that could be used with all new mobile phones and would be widely available before 2012.