Plastic In Cellphones: How Much Is Too Much?

Over one billion plastic phone cases are sold every year, and that's not even including other harmful materials like leather, vegan leather, and pure silicone cases. The latter two are also plastics. Plastic phone cases are a huge market, and currently, there is nothing stopping it from becoming even more detrimental to the environment. While phones made with plastic have slowly become less prevalent in the flagship range as manufacturers aim for a more premium finish, plastic is still used in many components. For example, Apple uses 35% or more plastic in 14 components, but it is difficult to scrutinise how many plastic components they have and which components are only using 35% recycled plastics.

Characteristics	Values
Number of plastic phone cases sold each year	Over 1 billion
Average weight of a plastic phone case	20 grams
Plastic used in Apple products	35% or more in 14 components
Plastic in Samsung Galaxy S5	Pimples plastic back

What You'll Learn

Plastic phone cases: over one billion are sold every year
Plastic in phone packaging: Apple said only 4% of its packaging is plastic
Plastic in phone components: Apple uses 35% or more plastic in 14 components
Plastic alternatives: smartphone manufacturers are seeking alternatives to reduce production costs
Plastic pollution: the global impact of plastic phone cases is detrimental to the environment

Plastic phone cases: over one billion are sold every year

Phone cases are just one part of the problem of plastic in cellphones. Plastic phones have become less prevalent as manufacturers seek a more premium finish, but plastic is still used in phone components. Apple, for example, uses 35% or more plastic in 14 components, although it is transitioning to recycled sources. It has also said that it will eliminate plastic from its packaging by 2025.

Despite these efforts, the problem of plastic in cellphones is significant. Adding one more device requires mining and fresh resources to be used. Companies should be using recycled materials to the absolute maximum possible and only using virgin materials when there is no other option.

The global impact of plastic phone cases is detrimental to the environment. With the world's population checking their phones on average every 16.5 minutes, or 58 times per day, the demand for cellphones is huge and shows no sign of slowing down.

The World's Plastic Problem: A Global Crisis

You may want to see also

Plastic in phone packaging: Apple said only 4% of its packaging is plastic

Plastic is a common material used in phone cases, with over one billion plastic phone cases sold every year. China is the top consumer of plastic phone cases.

Apple has been criticised for being vague about its plastic usage, despite saying it is transitioning to recycled sources. In 2021, Apple reported using 257,000 metric tons of packaging overall, with only 4% of that being plastic. Recycled fibre accounted for 63%, with the remaining 33% coming from "responsibly sourced" virgin fibre. Apple has committed to eliminating plastic from its packaging by 2025, and has brought this goal forward to 2024. The iPhone 13 product line was the first to be shipped without any plastic packaging components. Apple has also redesigned the phone boxes to reduce their volume, minimising material usage and allowing more phones to be transported per trip, contributing to a lower carbon footprint. Apple's Beats Studio Pro headphones use pulp moulding packaging made from bagasse and bamboo fibre, and the new iPad Pro packaging is 99% fibre-based.

Lucrative Earnings of Pediatric Plastic Surgeons

You may want to see also

Plastic in phone components: Apple uses 35% or more plastic in 14 components

Apple has been vague about its plastic usage, despite claiming to be transitioning to recycled sources. It is suspected that the total amount of recycled plastic used by Apple is much lower than the company claims. Apple has said that it has made progress in eliminating plastic from its packaging by 2025, and that only 4% of its packaging is currently plastic.

Apple is not the only phone manufacturer to use plastic in its products. The Samsung Galaxy S5, for example, had a plastic back, although this was criticised by reviewers. Samsung then released the Galaxy S6 Edge, which had a glass back.

Phone cases are also a major source of plastic waste. Over one billion plastic phone cases are sold each year, and China is the top consumer of these.

Plastic Beer Balls: How Much Beer Do They Hold?

You may want to see also

Plastic alternatives: smartphone manufacturers are seeking alternatives to reduce production costs

Plastic phone cases are a significant contributor to the global plastic problem. Over one billion plastic phone cases are sold every year, and that's not including other harmful materials like leather, vegan leather, and pure silicone cases.

Smartphone manufacturers are seeking alternatives to reduce production costs and the environmental impact of their products. Apple, for example, is developing strategies to find plastic-free alternatives within their mobile phones and incorporating recycled materials. They have stated that they are transitioning to recycled sources, using 35% or more in 14 components. However, it is challenging to scrutinise their progress due to vague statements and a lack of transparency. Apple has also committed to eliminating plastic from its packaging by 2025, with only 4% of its packaging currently made from plastic.

Samsung, Nokia, and Fairphone are also recognising the urgency of the issue and working towards changes in their products and production processes. The Fairphone 4 is the world's first electronic waste-neutral smartphone and contains post-consumer recycled plastics.

Similar to other industries, smartphone manufacturers are always seeking alternatives to materials to reduce the cost of production. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S5 received negative reviews for its plastic back, which led to the release of the glass-backed Galaxy S6 Edge. This shift towards glass and aluminium designs is driven by a desire for a more premium finish, but it also reduces the prevalence of plastic in flagship smartphones.

Creating Plastic Silverware: Understanding the Cost of Production

You may want to see also

Plastic pollution: the global impact of plastic phone cases is detrimental to the environment

Plastic pollution is a growing concern, and the global impact of plastic phone cases is detrimental to the environment. Over one billion plastic phone cases are sold each year, and with the average weight of a plastic phone case being 20 grams, that's a lot of virgin plastics. China is the top consumer of plastic phone cases, but this is a worldwide issue.

The problem is that plastic phone cases are often not recycled, and they end up in landfills or as litter, contributing to the growing plastic pollution problem. Plastic phone cases can take hundreds of years to decompose, and in the meantime, they can break down into microplastics, which can be harmful to wildlife and the environment.

Phone manufacturers have been seeking alternatives to plastic to reduce the cost of production and create a more premium finish. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S5 had a plastic back, but due to negative reviews, the head of design resigned, and the following model, the Galaxy S6 Edge, featured a glass back.

Apple has also stated that it is transitioning to recycled plastics, with 35% or more recycled content in 14 components. However, it is difficult to scrutinise these claims, and the total amount of recycled plastics used is suspected to be much lower. Apple has also committed to eliminating plastic from its packaging by 2025, with only 4% of its packaging currently made from plastic.

It is important that companies use recycled materials to the maximum extent possible and only use virgin materials when there is no other option. By reducing the demand for new plastic products and increasing the recycling of existing plastics, we can help reduce the environmental impact of plastic phone cases and other plastic products.