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From cell phone to sunflower

Scientists make phone cover that turns into flower

Monday, December 6, 2004 Posted: 11:48 AM EST (1648 GMT)

Quote:

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) -- Scientists said on Monday they have come up with a cell phone cover that will grow into a sunflower when thrown away.

Materials company Pvaxx Research & Development, at the request of U.S.-based mobile phone maker Motorola (MOT.N), has come up with a polymer that looks like any other plastic, but which degrades into soil when discarded.

Researchers at the University of Warwick in Britain then helped to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed, which will feed on the nitrates that are formed when the polyvinylalcohol polymer cover turns to waste.

"It's a totally biodegradable and non-toxic plastic," said Pvaxx spokesman Peter Morris.

"This is the first product that we've made public. We're working with blue chip companies and will introduce several products next year," he said, adding it would be used in electronics, horticulture, ammunition and household cleaning.

The company's new plastic, which was created over the past five years but was in development for longer, can be rigid or flexible in shape.

Some 650 million mobile phones will be sold this year, and most of them will be thrown away within two years, burdening the environment with plastics, heavy metals and chemicals. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, Warwick University said.

Motorola said it had not yet decided if it would introduce a model built with the new plastic, and that it would take until at least the second quarter of 2005 to get a commercial product.

"(To improve) the quality (of the plastic) is something we're working on," said Motorola project manager Peter Shead, adding the new plastic may be used in snap-on covers first.

Many young consumers buy cheap and interchangeable plastic covers to personalize their standard phone.

Sounds like somones got to little to do and way too much time to do it.

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burdening the environment with plastics, heavy metals and chemicals. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, Warwick University said.

Okay so then now you'll have a sunflower seed in a little pile of 'dirt' with heavy metals and chemicals. Somehow I doubt it would grow.

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Originally posted by Schmeet
Sounds like somones got to little to do and way too much time to do it.

Actually it sounds like a very VERY good idea for waste managemnet.

Wouldn't the same radiation that gives people brain cancer also kill whatever kind of sunflower seed is in that plastic?

no, sunflower seeds don't have brains, DUH!

It's the perfact gift this holiday season - the Chia Phone. Order one today!

http://www.brokennewz.com/StoryImages/chiathugbn.jpg
Can you hear me now?

That technology is so cool...

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Originally posted by Bilbo Baggins
Actually it sounds like a very VERY good idea for waste managemnet.

Exactly. Schmeet, you seem to be unaware of the problem domestic waste is in Britain and the world. In London the main landfill will be full in less than 5 years time. In Nairobi they just pile it into a massive hill in the middle of a shantytown. The highest point for miles outside of New York City is the rubbish dump (I think I read that in National Geographic). Just imagine how much plastic forms part of your household waste. That could become next to nothing with the advent of these polymers. I bet it's more useful than anything you will ever contribute to mankind.

Typical wacko enviromentalist billshit, they think they're doing something great and it's not going to make a single bit of difference. Who the hell is gonna want a flower in a landfill?

How do you suggest the problem is solved then? Lets hear your fascinating ideas.

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Originally posted by grumpyBB
Typical wacko enviromentalist billshit, they think they're doing something great and it's not going to make a single bit of difference. Who the hell is gonna want a flower in a landfill?

It's an example of the use of the technology.

A landfill full of items made from this material would be flat, normal ground. A landfill full of traditional materials is something quite different.

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You miss the point. As zootm said, it's the technology that's important. This could potentially be applied to all plastics, the most unbiodegradable stuff man has ever produced. But you probably don't give a shit anyway.

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wow your an idiot. The point isn't that it can grow to be a flower, the point is that it will decompose! Now instead of archelogists digging up a landfill in 1000 years and finding nothing but old cell-phone covers, they find dirt! Even more important is the fact that there could be a way after these get introduced which speeds up the decomposition and makes fertile dirt, which could be used to help restore soil nutrients in places in which the soil is becomming useless to farming.

In short, not to quote Martha Stewart but, it's a good thing.

It'd be nice if they made all plastics bio-degradeable... and possibly the arsenic, silicon, and whatever the hell else is inside all these chips we have.

There's no need for plastics to be non-biodegradable. Supermarket carrier bags are in some supermarkets in the UK and many common polymers have biodegradable alternatives. But they'd still take a hell of a long time to biodegrade. Recycling them would be a better option, especially as oil's running out.

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Originally posted by Talbain
It'd be nice if they made all plastics bio-degradeable... and possibly the arsenic, silicon, and whatever the hell else is inside all these chips we have.

Not everything can be made to be biodegradable though.

Oil running out isn't really a problem. In fact it's actually probably the only solution. Basically, until oil runs out, no other good energy alternatives will be produced because the oil companies have monopolized it to such an extent. You're right Bilbo, not everything can be made to biodegrade, however, it is possible to find alternative means (such as the development of new metals) to remedy that.

Quote:

Originally posted by Talbain
It'd be nice if they made all plastics bio-degradeable... and possibly the arsenic, silicon, and whatever the hell else is inside all these chips we have.

The arsenic in semiconductors is not too bad. It's a stable material, usually Gallium Arsenide. Silicon isn't too bad either and you can oxidise it relatively easily into silicon dioxide (sand). A much bigger problem is getting rid of old computers, printers, toner cartridges, monitors... think of all the plastic casing, wiring and what have you.

Personally I think the most urgent problems we face are deforestation and desertification, the devastation of coral reefs and overfishing. And air pollution, which is causing climate change, which will bring about flooding, drought, famine and war pretty soon.