Paper nano-SIM cards will help telcos go green
Chinese company Beijing Big Ben Tech has crafted recyclable SIM cards out of paper to help save the environment.
BARCELONA, Spain--Nestled away in Hall 7 of Mobile World Congress is Beijing Big Ben Technology, a China-based company that makes SIM cards mostly out of paper. While the actual cards themselves are made of recyclable ABS plastic and metal (the contact points), the card's holder is actually made from 100 percent fiber paper. This material is far easier to recycle than the plastic that most cards are currently made from.
The company has been in the business of making paper SIMs for five years now, and claims that its products cost the same as the plastic cards. China Mobile currently uses the Big Ben's products, but the company is hoping to attract other telcos around the world which are hoping to go green.
The next time you get a new SIM card, take note of just how much plastic you're wasting when you pluck the card from it's holder and toss it out into the trash. Here's a thought: if your telco had been on board with the green initiative, the whole thing could have been made of paper. Not only would it be much better for the environment, but it wouldn't have cost any extra.