T-Mobile Offers Eco-Conscious W233 Renew

Motorola has thought through every aspect of the carrier's latest phone to reduce its carbon footprint.

Your old water bottles are ready to live again – as a cell phone. The phone built partially from recycled plastic bottles that Motorola debuted at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show is already ready to buy. On Wednesday, T-Mobile announced that the W233 Renew is available as a network exclusive, for the time being.

Besides a shell made of recycled materials (and which is, itself, recyclable), Motorola purchases carbon credits from Carbonfund.org to offset the carbon dioxide released in the manufacturing of the phone, allowing the company to claim it as the world’s first “carbon free” cell phone. It’s also packed in a box made of 100 percent recycled paper, has no manual (you’ll need to get it online) and uses no shrink wrap. Motorola even includes a prepaid recycling envelope to send the Renew to that green shredder in the sky when it’s outlived its useful life.

Short of its eco-friendly manufacturing, there isn’t much particularly remarkable about the W223 as a cell phone. It spots a candybar form factor, small 128 x 128 pixel display, and lasts for about nine hours of continuous usage on a single charge, or 18 days of pure standby. You’ll also get the first version of Motorola’s CrystalTalk technology for clearer conversations with background noise (though not the amazing CrystalTalk Plus tech we tested at CES).

Unlike buying a hybrid, you won’t have to sit on any waiting lists or pay a huge premium for the W233. The phone is available now from T-Mobile immediately for a paltry $10 with two-year contract agreement.