Samsung introduced the E200 Eco, a phone made from bioplastics - materials extracted from corn.

Photo: Samsung E200 Eco Phone Made from Bioplastics Photo 1

The E200 Eco's entire case is bioplastic. It has a 1.3-megapixel camera, video messaging capabilities and an MP3 player. The handset will be available in Europe next month but does not yet have an American release date.

Samsung announced the W510 and F268 in June, two handsets that were produced using techniques that eliminate harmful materials like lead, cadmium and mercury. The F268 and E200 Eco devices and their chargers were also free of a common flame retardant that can harm the environment. The F268 had an alarm "feature" that reminds users to unplug their chargers when the phone is fully charged.

NEC introduced a bioplastic phone in Japan in 2006, and has been using plant-derived materials in its LaVie laptop line since 2004.

Samsung said it has been testing bioplastics for other product lines, but has no firm plans to expand their use.

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