In January 2013, a group of Dutch developers set out to create the 1st “totally fair” smartphone, meaning that all its manufacturing and sales processes are developed with openness, transparency, and social justice. Making a smartphone with minimal impact on society and the planet was their main goal and then “Fairphone” was born. Almost 5 years later and focus on improving its 1st model, the Fairphone 2 is available: the 1st mobile device with a special durable design, with fair working conditions, without using harmful minerals for the environment and prepared for reuse and recycling.
Fairphone 2 has been concerned that all materials used for your mobile have not been exploited damaging the environment, drugs under extremely hazardous working conditions or without child labor. The telephone company carried out, through different studies, a comparison of 38 materials used for the line of traditional mobile communications commands, to verify that these materials generated a lower impact on the ecosystem. Through these investigations, it can be known that 10 of these materials only develop a long-term future impact, although the company assured that every year they look for new ways to carry out the company along with a path of environmental protection.
The exploitation of social groups, using children or people with very low conditions is an unfortunate characteristic of the industry. The production of the Fairphone, on the other hand, guarantees the fair and responsible working conditions for each of the workers who star in the entire production chain. From those who are in charge of obtaining the colón and the tin, it is needed for its manufacture, even the workers of the factories in China where the equipment is assembled. This means that it can be accessed through a common charitable fund that helps all those responsible to receive a fair wage, improve their living conditions and facilitate access to education.
3 reasons why Fairphone is considered 100% eco-friendly
- Minerals from conflict-free zones: Fairphone focuses on the purchase of minerals from conflict-free zones and that is why they go directly to these zones, as is the case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since their goal is to work directly where they can contribute with alternatives to current mining practices, empowering workers and improving the quality of life of the local population. The Fairphone team wants to be a vehicle for change in the regions that need it most.
- Fairtrade gold: the gold contained in the Fairphone 2 comes from the Sotrami mine, a certified mine with fairtrade in the Atacama desert (Peru). It is the 1st Fair Trade mine with 250 members that thanks to this work in decent conditions and can invest in their future and their families.
- Does not contain blood minerals: There are 4 minerals considered blood. They are tantalum (obtained from coltan), tin, gold and tungsten (or tungsten). The Fairphone 1 already had tin and tantalum mines from the Democratic Republic of the Congo of conflict-free zones. But the Fairphone team continued to investigate and struggle to get all four minerals from conflict-free zones. With the launch of Fairphone 2, one of the improvements was fair trade gold, this second model has Wolfram from northern Rwanda, another conflict-free zone.
Fairphone has thought beyond the lifespan of their devices: they want to encourage the reuse and repair of their phones, research their recycling options and reduce electronic waste worldwide. this smartphone can be repaired at home, The company has a Youtube channel where we can find videos about how to repair the device, how to change the screen in less than a minute or fix the camera. The pieces can be ordered separately on their website and reasonably priced.
Also Fairphone 2 It is built to last: not only for being modular and for being able to repair it yourself, but also at the software level, The corporation programmers are working to update Fairphone 2 to the new version of Android. Also, the back of the phone itself is more resistant than normal and covers the entire edge of the screen to keep it safe from shocks, so it lasts much longer and it is not necessary to buy any casing.
In Costa Rica, Fairphone 2 it is compatible and can be used with cellphone providers that offer services with GSM and LTE bands.