Cover story
Slimmer out-of-the-box offerings and eco-friendly packaging
More affordable electric bills and more stable electric grid
If you have been canvassing flagship and pseudoflagship phones during the last couple of years, you probably have noticed that the inclusions in the box have been getting slimmer and slimmer as time goes on. Years ago, the bare minimum was the inclusion of a SIM ejector, wired earphones, charging brick, and charging cable. Then the SIM ejector disappeared, followed by the wired earphones in accordance with the disappearance of the 3.5mm jack. Some of the marquee names in the industry have even gone so far as to remove the charging brick, leaving customers with just the charging cable.
The price of generating solar power has significantly gone down over the years. From a wallet-busting USD 115 per watt in 1975, solar energy in 2021 cost just 0.27 USD per watt according to OurWorldInData. Locally, the market price for solar panel systems without a storage battery ticks at around PHP 50,000 per kilowatt-peak, and around PHP 100,000 per kilowatt-peak for battery-based systems. More affordable solar-powered LED lights, fans, chargers, and battery banks have also become more accessible. So much so that even households in remote villages can purchase solar LED bulbs to light up their homes at night, even if they don’t have reliable on-grid electricity to begin with. Given that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that the Philippines has a potential solar power capacity of 4.5 to 5.5 kWh per square meter each day, investing in solar energy is a no-brainer.
While it can be validly argued that the above are cost-saving measures in order to keep phone prices competitive and boost profits, there is an underlying true environmental reason behind it. In excluding these from box inclusions, manufacturers are encouraging buyers to reuse their current accessories and make the most out of their product life. Let’s face it, most of us probably have a drawer full of cables and bricks that we’ve accumulated over the years. Of course, greenwashing is a thing and these brands still have to be held accountable for the environmental impacts of their end-to-end business processes. But given the fact that in the last decade, an average of 44.16-million metric tons of electronic waste was generated globally per year according to the United Nations University, every little bit of diverted waste counts. Additionally, some manufacturers have excluded plastic wrapping from and are using more recycled materials in their products’ retail packaging, further reducing their business’ waste footprint.
January 2024
Moreover, excess energy produced by these systems can be sold back to the grid through the Department of Energy’s (DOE) netmetering program implemented under Republic Act No. 9513 or the Renewable Energy (RE) Act of 2008. The program allows owners of grid-tied solar power systems to sell any extra energy they produce to their utility provider, which is then discounted from their regular power account. Not only does this mean cheaper monthly bills, but it also helps stabilize the grid during times of peak demand. Of course, RE-based electricity has the invaluable advantage of having little to no greenhouse gas emissions, helping slow down global warming.
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