"People care more about convenience than environmental protection," said a Shanghai resident.

Except for the batteries, the disposable handsets are made entirely of bio-degradable materials, posing little threat to the environment, said a spokesman surnamed Wu with a Zhejiang company, the Chinese general agent of the US-based patent-holder of the disposable handsets.

Disposable handset manufacturers will set up a reclamation system, under which consumers will get 10 yuan (US$1.2) for turning in a used handset to any sales outlet, Wu said. However, Wu acknowledged that they cannot ensure all the disposable handsets will be reclaimed.

Discarded disposable handsets do pose some threat to the environment, but should be accepted for the sake of convenience, said Jiang Yanyin, vice chairman of the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Science. Residents should make every effort to turn in their used handsets, Jiang said.

China should adopt the same measures taken by developed countries to deal with disposable products by adding the reclamation cost to the manufacturer's production cost, said Zhu Dajian, professor at Tongji University. Producers should establish a complete reclamation responsibility system, Zhu said.

Disposable handsets, good for 180 minutes of local calling, are expected to debut in Shanghai after June this year, priced at around 100 yuan (US$12).

(eastday.com March 20, 2003)