A mobile phone implanted with a sunflower seed and made from biodegradable material was among the latest cellular technology to be unveiled at the Science Museum.
The theory is that the biodegradable phone cover will release nutrients as it deteriorates, helping the sunflower grow.
It is hoped that the prototype, developed by researchers from Warwick University, will mean phone covers can simply be buried after use.
The phone, only available in Japan, went on show at the Science Museum in West London.
Other prototypes on show are the only lasagne-based circuit board in the world, and an exploded phone showing how new smart metals will help phones take themselves apart for recycling. There will even be a circuit board made from chicken feathers.
According to the exhibition, 1,712 mobile phones are upgraded every hour in the UK after 18 months of use, even though they are designed to last up to 10 years.
There are about 50 million mobiles in the country and the number of phones globally is expected to reach two billion by the end of the year.
Environment minister Ben Bradshaw said, "We tend to upgrade without thinking about what happens to our old phone.
"So what should we do with our old phones when we do?
"And what can manufacturers do to make it easier for people to make the right choices for the environment?
"These are some of the core questions we are raising in our current review of England's waste strategy so the Science Museum's exhibition is especially timely."
Mobile phones and the environment
Thu, 30 Mar 2006
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