Samsung unveils Reclaim green smartphone

The Samsung Reclaim offers a range of green features

Samsung has unveiled a new smartphone which the company claims is the most eco-friendly on the market.

The Reclaim device is set to go on sale in the US on 16 August costing just $49.99 (£29.85). No details on an international release were given.

The handset sports a green casing, 40 per cent of which is a biodegradable plastic derived from corn starch.

Other environmentally friendly features include electronics free from PVC and BFRs, packaging made from 70 per cent recycled material, and an online manual in place of a printed booklet.

The Reclaim features a 3G broadband connection, full Qwerty keyboard and support for up to 32GB of memory.

"The Samsung Reclaim is more than just an eco-friendly device; it's a powerful and stylish phone that's easy to use," said Omar Khan, senior vice president of strategy and product management at Samsung Mobile.

"When you combine the Reclaim's impressive feature set with its bio-plastic hardware and eco-friendly packaging, you are using a phone that is good for you and the environment."

The use of environmentally friendly products and features has become a design and development lynchpin for consumer and enterprise manufacturers. Urged on by Greenpeace and other advocacy groups, companies such as Apple and Dell have moved to remove toxins and increase the power efficiency of a range of electronic devices.