HP and other electronics manufacturers recently made recycling- and repair-related announcements. | BalkansCat/Shutterstock
A brand owner unveiled a printer made with 30% recycled plastic from old electronics, and iFixit gives better marks for a new Microsoft laptop.
The following are a few recent announcements from OEMs:
E-plastics recycling: HP introduced the HP Tango Terra printer, which is partially made with recycled e-plastics (30% recycled content). The device also uses cartridges made from recycled resin, including plastic that’s at risk of entering the ocean. HP and global processor Sims Recycling Solutions have a partnership focused on recycling e-plastics. HP is also involved in recovering plastics in Haiti that are at risk of washing into the sea.
Foldable phone unveiled: One OEM continues to roll out phones you can fold up, a sign of product shifts the e-scrap industry will be seeing in the coming years. PCMag.com reports Samsung demonstrated a smartphone that can be folded in one of two directions. PCMag noted the company has already marketed the Galaxy Fold but its high price and mediocre reviews limited its success. The publication also noted the first Galaxy Fold devices to be sent out for review earlier this year experienced durability problems.
Repairability improvement: The new Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is “a radical change for the better” in terms of repairability, according to Kyle Wiens of iFixit. The repair hub graded the device a 5 out of 10 for repairability, 5 points higher than the previous version of the laptop. The company noted the “opening procedure is straightforward, with a clever design that represents a dramatic improvement over its predecessors.” Still, it noted the computer has a “firmly glued-down battery.” In October, iFixit also released teardown guides rating repairability for the Apple Watch Series 5, Google Pixel 4 XL and the OnePlus 7T.
More stories about OEMs
- Apple talks device repair at industry summit
- SK Tes: Sustainability reporting here to stay
- Apple expands activation locks to phone parts
Several of the most popular older Apple iPhone models may be losing favor among consumers, an analysis suggests.
Florida-based Early Upgrade recently moved into a much larger warehouse and is buying a wider array of end-of-life devices.
With an eye toward demonstrating the variety and amount of metals available from e-scrap, geologists at an English university used a household blender to take a look inside a mobile device.
Samsung is teasing the 2019 release of a wholly different phone design: a device that can fold in half like a book.
Global e-commerce site eBay has launched a mobile device trading program, and the company says it will pay consumers more for their used phones than competitors.
Even if consumers say smartphone repairability is important to them, brand popularity may be a more important factor in prolonging a device’s life, a study concluded.
A growing threat in the e-scrap sector received national analysis this week, when The Washington Post visited a processing facility and explored the danger of lithium-ion battery fires.