After the SIM card is inserted into the mobile phone card slot, the remaining plastic card body becomes waste and can only be thrown away. Why can't we make the SIM card smaller? Some consumers have raised such questions. The reporter learned in the interview that, because the production line did not keep up with the technological development, although the society is now vigorously restricting plastic, these huge plastic cards can only be in a "waste" state at present. However, the parties concerned have been aware of the waste of these resources. Shanghai Mobile has now started to set up special SIM card recycling boxes to avoid white pollution. It is understood that some mobile companies in other places have begun to introduce "environment-friendly" SIM cards that are only half the size of ordinary cards.
The reason is that the production line didn't keep up
A small SIM card has an area of less than one tenth of the whole card. When handling business, the SIM card is torn from the card, and the remaining plastic card body is useless. Some consumers have raised the question that a plastic SIM card may cause waste and pollution as much as several plastic bags. Why not abandon the card body, sell the SIM card alone or make the card body smaller?
The reporter asked Shanghai Mobile about this question. The relevant staff of the company's marketing department told the reporter: "This is actually a problem left over from history. Early mobile phones used 'big cards', and a whole card needs to be inserted into the card slot. Although the current models basically remove the 'small card' with chips from the 'large card' for use, the size of the entire SIM card has been the same as before for seven or eight years. "
According to Shanghai Mobile, they sold an average of 78 million SIM cards every month, which is equivalent to discarding 78 million plastic bags. "In fact, we have taken into account the waste of resources and environmental pollution caused by plastic cards. But to change the size of the SIM card, not only involves the transformation of the manufacturer's assembly line, but also the entire industrial chain will be affected, so it is not a problem that can be solved at once. "
Card body recycling box receives 10000 cards per month
Although the size of the SIM card cannot be changed in a short time, Shanghai Mobile has set up "SIM card body recycling boxes" in each business hall to recycle discarded card bodies and avoid environmental pollution.
The reporter saw this small blue cube box in the mobile business hall on Jiujiang Road. The relevant staff told the reporter that when dealing with business for new customers, the clerk would ask whether to throw away the discarded card bodies after installation, and about 10-15 SIM card bodies could be recycled every day.
According to Shanghai Mobile, since its establishment at the end of June last year, this "SIM card recycling box" has recycled more than 10000 pieces in normal months, and even more than 20000 pieces in some months. These plastic SIM card bodies will be sent to relevant treatment plants for pollution-free treatment together with the recycled old mobile phones and old battery panels.
In addition, Shanghai Mobile is also planning to launch the business of "new use of old cards". "When customers handle the business of network access, card replacement and card replacement, if they hold a used SIM card with good quality, they can write new personalized data in the business hall to realize the reuse of the old SIM card. Of course, now the SIM card is updated very quickly, and whether it can be reused depends on the situation of the card. We are still making preparations for this business."
Jiangsu Launches "Environmentally Friendly" SIM Card
It is understood that the SIM card body is made of materials similar to PVC. After recycling, only pollution-free treatment can be carried out to reduce pollution, but it cannot be reprocessed and reused. To really reduce the waste of resources and reduce the size of the card body, the cooperation of manufacturers and even the entire industrial chain is also needed.
However, the reporter learned that Jiangsu Mobile has taken the lead in introducing a "environment-friendly" SIM card that is only half the size of ordinary cards. This small SIM card can save 50% of the card body raw materials, more than 70% of the printing pigments, 45% of the energy saving and emission reduction in the outer packaging, and more than 50% of the energy saving and emission reduction in the logistics and storage links. In response, Shanghai Mobile said that it may take some time for Shanghai to implement such "environmentally friendly" SIM cards. (By Morning News reporter Han Xiaoni, intern Wu Chen)
Related link: What is SIM card
SIM card is the abbreviation of Subscriber Identity Module, also called smart card and subscriber identity card. GSM digital mobile phone can only be used with this card. There are different sizes of SIM cards. The size of large cards is 54mm × 85mm (standard size of credit cards), and the size of small cards is 25mm × 15mm (smaller than ordinary stamps). In fact, the small card is the part with the chip. Early models such as Motorola GC87C, 308C and other mobile phones used "big cards", but now new models basically use "small cards". The application of SIM card in GSM system separates the card from the mobile phone, and the SIM card uniquely identifies a customer.
