Sony's Road to Zero details how much plastic waste goes into making its latest products
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony's latest cameras are garbage. We mean that quite literally of course. Sony has detailed how much plastic recycling goes into making the material in its latest cameras and other consumer electronics as it sets out its Road to Zero carbon-neutral plan.
Sony has produced a video demonstrating how its proprietary recycled plastic – SORPLAS – has dramatically reduced how much virgin plastic it uses in its consumer products. Virgin plastic is plastic that is made directly from raw materials (derived from oil) for first-time use, with virgin plastics currently making up 70% of all plastics used in consumer electronics.
SORPLAS on the other hand is made from recycled PET water bottles and optical disks, (as well as a flame-retardant material for additional safety). Sony in fact has already used 379 tonnes of SORPLAS in products that are conceivably already in your home, including its BRAVIA TVs, wireless earbuds, Xperia phones, and of course – in some of the best Sony cameras.
Above: watch Sony explain the benefits of SORPLAS.
The Sony A7, Sony ZV-1F, and Sony FX30 have all specifically been championed in the video for their use of SORPLAS in external and internal components. Recycled PET bottles have also been used in the microphone windscreens on vlogging cameras (those fluffy little microphone covers). Thanks to SORPLAS, Sony has been able to reduce virgin plastic use in its BRAVIA TVs by 60%.
SORPLAS can be made using 72% less CO2 than virgin plastic for the same application, and still provides 99% of the strength. SORPLAS can also be recycled several times over, so SORPLAS will be used again in future products in the recycling process.
We are big fans of Sony cameras already here at Digital Camera World for their amazing photo and video skills, but adding green credentials just makes them even better. It is fantastic to see a company take its environmental commitments seriously, and if you want to read about what else Sony is doing on a company-wide scale, you can read all about it on Sony's Road to Zero website.
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Gareth is a photographer based in London, working as a freelance photographer and videographer for the past several years, having the privilege to shoot for some household names. With work focusing on fashion, portrait and lifestyle content creation, he has developed a range of skills covering everything from editorial shoots to social media videos. Outside of work, he has a personal passion for travel and nature photography, with a devotion to sustainability and environmental causes.
