Apple's high-street plan for greener iPhone 3G

Jonny Evans
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June 30, 2008
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 Apple's pushing a high street retail strategy in order to ensure its greener iPhone is in widescale distrtibution. 

We know the iPhone is sold at AT & T and Apple retail stores in the US and at O2, Apple and Carphone Warehouse stores in the UK. Similar deals are also revealing themselves across Europe now, with the latest information revealing a range of German retailers will be offering the device when it goes on sale there on 11 July.

Die Welt reports Metro AG's Media Markt and Saturn shows will join Debitel in offering the iPhone 3G to German high street shoppers.

The news was confirmed by Debitel chief exec, Oliver Steil, who told the German magazine of his deal with T-Mobile to sell the device through his shops.

In related news, Apple has also made a green decision for its new iPhone 3G, moving to package its new device in recycled, biodegradable packaging, manufactured in quantity by Dutch firm, PaperFoam, Dutch blog Bright reports.

If true, the report claims iPhone 3G will ship in potato starch paper containers, which Apple has ordered "millions" of, apparently. The product will be packaged in a fully recyclable. cardboard box with a starch tray (the inner part of the box), which is fully recyclable for a carbon footprint reduction of 90 per cent in comparison to plastic.

Comments (4)

Luis Alejandro Masanti (not verified) | June 30, 2008 - 10:37am

Greenpeace's folks will be able to use iPhone now!

Fanboi (not verified) | June 30, 2008 - 11:08am

No, they'll still complain

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 30, 2008 - 3:57pm

"... with a starch tray (the inner part of the box), which is fully recyclable for a carbon footprint reduction of 90 per cent in comparison to plastic."

I wonder who recycles starch containers. If it does not get recycled but instead gets buried in a landfill, will it not release carbon into the atmosphere as it decays?

But Plastic, if it does not get recycled and instead gets buried in a landfill will take thousands of years to decay. Being relatively inert won't the carbon be encapsulated in the plastic and therefore release almost zero carbon into the atmosphere? Isn't that what we want?

I am thinking that the public is confused into thinking plastic is bad for the environment but my theory is that it is good to make plastic and then bury it.

If we pump oil out of the ground we are accessing huge quantities of carbon that were trapped underground and kept out of the atmosphere. If we turn the oil into fuel the carbon is released; if we turn the oil into plastic, use it, and then bury it, we are keeping the carbon encapsulated.

Tell me where I'm wrong.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 01, 2008 - 1:39am

I think plastic simply involves more CO2 emissions when it's produced, not when it's disposed. Not sure about the starch manufacturing/recycling process, though.