Your Next Cell Phone May Be Made of Corn

Believe it or not, Sprint and Samsung announced on Thursday that they are planning to roll out a cell phone made with corn as an ingredient. Called the Reclaim, the phone will cost $50.00 after rebates and be one of the greenest phones on the market.

Corn-based bioplastic will make up 40 percent of the phone’s casing, helping to cut down on both greenhouse emissions and hazardous waste. Bioplastics currently make up only about five percent of the plastic market, but that number should grow as more people become concerned about their carbon footprint and as oil prices continue to rise.

It’s not just the phone itself that’s eco-friendly, though. Packaging will be made from 70 percent recycled material and soy-based ink, the traditional paper manual will be swapped for a virtual version and the phone’s charger will be about 12 times more efficient than normal chargers. Also, Sprint will donate $2.00 to The Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre program for every Reclaim sold.

You can pick up the Reclaim from Sprint starting August 16th in either “Earth Green” or “Ocean Blue.”