With Samsung and UL Environment behind Sprint, America’s third largest mobile carrier has cemented its leadership in product stewardship among its competitors.

The Samsung Replenish, now available through Sprint, has recently gained UL Environment’s sustainability requirements for mobile phones.  Known as UL ISR 110, the Replenish has earned the Platinum Certification for the following features:




  • - The Replenish has a reduced amount of environmentally sensitive materials is free of intentionally added polyvinyl chloride [PVC], and only limited amounts of brominated flame retardants [BFRs], phthalates, and beryllium (one of those pesky rare earth elements).
  • - Over four-fifths (82 percent) of the Replenish is manufactured from recyclable materials.
  • - This Android phone is encased in recyclable packaging that incorporates 80 percent post-consumer waste material as well as soy ink.
  • - The energy efficient charger meets the European Commission's Code of Conduct on Energy Efficiency of External Power Supplies (Version 4) and displays a visual alert for full charge.

    • One complaint about the mobile phone (or cell phone, depending what continent you are on) industry is the amount of product turnover and waste.  Anyone who has shoebox full of black spaghetti from unwanted rechargers stashed in the closet would agree.  Sprint has been working on streamlining industry standards, and the UL ISR 110 sustainability standard is a push in the right direction.  Let's just see if green mobile phones continue to catch on. Changing consumers' behavior is an uphill battle, and mobile phone companies need to lead the charge.

    About The Author

    Leon Kaye

    Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division, GGP Media. Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event. His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He writes for San Francisco-based Triple Pundit, Inhabitat and now The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's Architect Magazine. Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.