The Green Wave: Five Tech Trends That Will Accelerate E-Cycling
There’s a subtle part of Apple’s WWDC that many analysts overlooked, yet it will have an ongoing impact on how we use and reuse consumer electronics. Within a few seconds after showing the new MacBook Pro feature set, Philip Schiller, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at Apple, showed the Environmental Checklist. This was the first time in Apple’s product announcement history that environmentally friendly attributes were placed on an equal footing with newly released product features. We can expect this for the iPhone 5. More importantly, when Apple speaks, consumers should listen. Apple has been the king of consumer experience and they have set the stage for how we'll behave differently in the future: they expect consumers to e-cycle. According to the EPA, less than 20 percent of all electronics are recycled and the vast majority are disposed of, mostly in landfills. It’s time that we e-cycle.
Apple is an integral part of a significant eco-shift in the consumer electronics (CE) industry, yet it's part of a larger Green Wave. Here are 5 Tech Trends that will accelerate e-cycling:
1) Apple and Samsung lead the CE industry: Since I wrote about the Battle of the Green Giants last October, Apple and Samsung have accelerated their race to be the greenest CE company in the world. Each is convinced that green initiatives will help drive consumers’ choices and brand loyalty. Since Apple and Samsung drive 55% of global smartphone shipments, they will continue to drive eco-friendly attributes of other CE manufacturers’ products.
2) Retailers are Increasing Incentives: Best Buy is the first retailer who initiated e-cycling incentives for consumers and have been regularly promoting their Trade-In/Trade-Up Program through recent commercials. Apple, Office Depot and Staples are other retailers that have in-store buyback and e-cycling programs. In addition, all of the major carriers offer their own e-cycling incentives for mobile phones. AT&T, Verizon and Sprint offer cash back via e-gift cards, yet Verizon and Sprint also offer donation options for community service programs. Although T-Mobile has an e-cycling initiative, it’s not clear whether there’s any cash incentive – only the comfort that you are helping sustain a greener planet. You can expect to see more retailers join the e-cycling bandwagon to stay competitive.
Continued on the next page
Follow Technorati