Motorola Reduces Carbon Footprint 20% From 2005 Levels

May 5, 2009

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Motorola has cut its carbon footprint by 20 percent, compared to 2005 levels. Its 2008 carbon footprint was 535,377 tons of CO2 equivalent.

By 2010, the mobile phone and electronics manufacturer has committed to reduce its absolute greenhouse gas emissions to 6 percent below 2000 levels, according to its 2008 corporate responsibility report.

Here are some of Motorola’s advances in sustainability.

Motorola began marketing the Moto W233 Renew mobile phone, which it calls the world’s first CarbonFree-certified phone. Constructed of polycarbonate from recycled post-consumer water cooler bottles, it was certified by Carbonfund.org. Motorola says 20 percent less energy is needed to manufacture the phone.
New mobile phone chargers use 0.10 watts or less of standby power, reducing wasted energy by 70 percent. Software in Motorola’s new mobile phones reminds users to unplug their chargers after use.
The company’s D10 and D11 digital cordless home phones optimize their power output based on the distance from the receiver to the base. The phones are made from 20 percent recycled content.
Motorola, which participates in or manages recycling programs in 70 countries, collected 2,560 tons of electronic and electrical equipment waste for recycling, a one percent increase from 2007.
For the first time, the company calculated the carbon footprint from its employees’ business travel, which totaled nearly 137,000 tons of CO2 equivalent. The company aims to reduce that by conferencing via audio, video and Web meetings when possible.
For 2009, about 15 percent of Motorola’s electricity will come from renewable sources. The goal is to increase the amount to 20 percent by 2010 and 30 percent by 2020. Motorola ranked No. 44 on the EPA’s recent list of the top green power purchasers.
ABI Research named Motorola as the greenest provider of wireless local area networks.

In addition to the above, Motorola is considering the life cycle impact of its products, opting for materials that are more recyclable and environmentally friendly. The company is researching alternatives to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), expecting to completely eliminate the chemicals from new phones by 2010.

The company also is trying to reduce its packaging and shipping impact via the following methods: