Filed under: iPhone
iPhone 3G to be shipped in eco-friendly packaging: spuds
The new iPhone 3G will ship in a paper tray made that has a carbon footprint a tenth the size of a plastic tray, according to its manufacturer.
The paper tray, manufactured by Dutch firm PaperFoam, is made from potato or tapioca starch.
According to Dutch blog Bright, PaperFoam CEO Hans Arentsen said that Apple ordered "millions of PaperFoam packages" for the new iPhone. PaperFoam also makes carton components for Motorola.
The PaperFoam tray will be inside a coated cardboard box, both of which are fully recyclable. Apple committed to reducing its environmental impact in an open letter from Steve Jobs released in May 2007.
[Via The Register.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Le Big Mac said 5:54PM on 6-30-2008
Given that all of these phones will be opened at the store for activation, will any of the packaging matter? Why even bother with a box?
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max said 5:58PM on 6-30-2008
you would think that the entire box would be able to be almost eliminated considering each phone would have to be handled by an ATT or apple rep. meaning the only thing needing pacaging would be the accessories
Phil Gilder said 5:58PM on 6-30-2008
accessories etc?
max said 6:00PM on 6-30-2008
usb cable... actually waht else comes with it besides that now? head phones... what else/
Robert Palmer said 6:00PM on 6-30-2008
That's an excellent point. For shipping, however, products need to come in some kind of packaging, at least to protect them from getting banged up.
It didn't say anything about the exterior carton -- and in fact, the iPhone might be packaged "brown box," with no (or little) printing on the outside. Apple's refurb products are packaged this way.
Apple designers could make the argument that the act of carrying the device home (with the manual and cable and all) is worth the cost of putting the graphics on the box.
But then again, their margins might be tighter with the lower price of the handset.
I could go back and forth all day. :) My guess is we won't know until July 11.
John Pastor said 6:08PM on 6-30-2008
But the IMEI on the outside of the box is only needed for activation, so they don't need to open the box. :-)
bryon brock said 9:45PM on 6-30-2008
I love Apple's boxes, I hope they let you open it in store it's always such a pleasant experience.
http://www.iphone-hacks.com
max said 5:58PM on 6-30-2008
first
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paul said 6:08PM on 6-30-2008
Nope, last.
TheDude said 6:14PM on 6-30-2008
I work in a major electronics retailer and when we get the iPod nanos in, each one of them comes individually wrapped with a white plastic film (apparently to not scratch the clear case.) That is totally unnecessary and makes Steve Jobs a bit of a hypocrite (I will post pics on Flickr the next time we get some in.)
to thedude said 8:24PM on 6-30-2008
really replying to thedude:
maybe if major electronics reseller didn't refuse shipments because clear plastic case was scratched, apple wouldn't need to ship that way. what's worse for the environment -- a clear film to prevent refusals, or a refusal of thousands of ipods, requiring the carrier to ship everything back to an apple warehouse (that's a lot of diesel fuel), have the products repackaged and the old packaging thrown away, then reshipped to the customer?
i'm assuming you're not talking about clamshells (the hard outer shell; allows you to hang the merchandise rather than set it on shelves), 'cause if you are, you're a 'tard. companies specifically order that.
Thomas said 6:08PM on 6-30-2008
As if people throw away the boxes for their Apple kit.
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Dawn said 8:46PM on 6-30-2008
Exactly...my Mac boxes will not be decomposing in a landfill until I am.
Kyle Derouen said 6:16PM on 6-30-2008
For real; I keep my apple boxes!
Will the new iPhone not use iTunes for activation? I didn't like that system very much..
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Buckingham said 6:49PM on 6-30-2008
Okay, folks I'm gonna be honest here. I'm gonna eat it.
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aaron said 6:52PM on 6-30-2008
I was thinking/wondering the same thing...
Robert Palmer said 6:54PM on 6-30-2008
I'd put it in water first to see how well it dissolves before I eat it.
I'm sure AOL/Weblogs, Inc./etc. assumes no responsibility for injury, blindness, death, dismemberment, projectile vomiting, or butt loss resulting from eating iPhone packaging.
Andrew Rush said 7:53PM on 6-30-2008
HAHA Butt loss? What is that?!
Ya know what... never mind, I don't need to know...
Liam said 6:54PM on 6-30-2008
remember not everyone has to activate in store, for existing o2 users in the uk we get a phone call, there register a new contract down the phone and post the phone out to us. There is no queing for existing customers so the packaging would be nice. Not every iphone user in the world is using AT&T.
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Eric said 7:05PM on 6-30-2008
I have a DVD that came in an eco-friendly package, with a potato-based tray. (Barenaked Ladies' Talk To The Hand: Live in Michigan, if you must know)
One of my friends licked it, he said it didn't taste very good.
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