Now, mobile casings that sprout flowers

Firms are developing casings out of biodegradable materials like plant seeds, which sprout flowers when they break down.

With people becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of electronic waste, entrepreneurs are experimenting with biodegradable casings for mobile phones made out of sunflower seeds.

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If thrown away, they break down and begin to sprout flowers, reports UPI.

A mobile phone is a disposable product -- consumers buy a new one about every year and a half, and toss the old one in the closet. Then, years later, when they have a major house-cleaning weekend, they find a few old phones collecting dust and toss them out in the trash.

Experts warn that this pattern is starting to become a major environmental issue, as old mobile phones start to fill up garbage dumps across the US and leach lead, arsenic, gold and other toxins into the groundwater.

"There are a lot of heavy metals being released into landfills because of old mobile phones," said environmental supervisor, Chuck Harrell.

Now, mobile phone manufacturers such as Motorola Corp are collaborating with environmentalists and the government to solve this problem.

Municipalities are joining to create mobile phone recycling centres for residents.

Technology companies are developing mobile-phone casings out of biodegradable materials -- even plant seeds, which sprout flowers when they break down in the ground after disposal.