bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Many Hongkongers buy a new mobile phone every year. 
This is a wasteful habit that creates environmental problems.
Manufacturers of mobile phones must share some of the blame for what is happening.  
They want to see a high turnover of their products, so they keep placing new models on the market in the hope that consumers will buy the latest one.  Nowadays, mobile phones are regarded as fashion accessories and so  people always want to keep up with the latest trends. 
Many phones are discarded even though they work perfectly well.  
Also, warranty periods are usually very short.
This means that if something does go wrong, the repair bill may amount to half the cost of a new model. 
Therefore, many people decide it is cheaper to buy a new one. 
Even if customers would prefer to have a phone repaired, they will be encouraged by the phone makers to buy a new one instead.  
Another environmental problem is caused by excessive packaging. 
When you buy the phone, it comes in a box with a number of accessories that most of us do not need. 
These are often thrown away after the phone is purchased. 
This is a waste of paper and plastic and is not at all environmentally friendly.  
The problems that arise from the frequent changing of mobile phone models cannot be ignored. 
Discarded phones can cause problems at landfills where they end up, as they contain mercury and other  heavy metals.  
I appreciate that mobile phone companies need to make a profit, but they have to recognise their social responsibility. 
They must play their part in trying to achieve sustainable development on our planet.  
The manufacturers must come up with a comprehensive strategy for recycling used mobile phones.  
Anita Chan, Tsz Wan Shan



Next time you buy another mobile phone, consider the consequences