A group of designers from the U.K. have used recycled mobile phones to create a set of artificial butterflies.
The butterflies were made by London-based design company is this good? to show that old phones could still be used, according to The Courier.
"We wanted to give the 'old and forgotten' a new lease on life and showcase the fact that even the discarded can emerge as something new and beautiful, which is what up-cycling and O2 Recycle is all about," said Chris Cairns, creative director at is this good?. "We hoped that, by creating 'Social Butterflies', we would raise a smile and remind people that we can create moments of recognition and happiness out of products we have previously loved and now overlook. Each of these butterflies have their own little personality quirks so I'm looking forward to the members of the public starting up a conversation with them."
The designers studied butterflies at the Natural History Museum in London to obtain inspiration for the devices, itv reported. The team used hardware from different mobile phones to construct the butterflies.
When users call the number of the recycled phones, they each react in their own way. Interactions vary from lasers, to light shows and flapping wings.
"We can see this project creating a type of 'butterfly effect,'" said Bill Eyres, head of sustainability at O2, The Courier reported. "As people experience this amazing recycled technology, we hope they will be inspired to regular recycle their old devices. Many people don't realize that their old technology can have a second life."
Eyres added that there are environmental benefits to reusing old gadgets.
"O2 Recycle offers a simple, sustainable way to recycle unused gadgets and receive a cash payment in return," he said. "We all have a role to play in making sure that old technology lives on even when we've finished with it."
Marek Bereza, co-founder of is this good?, said the company wanted to show the value and beauty of old phones, The Courier reported.
"We've used lots of different bits of phones, just searching for the aesthetic qualities," Bereza said. "One has a beautiful gold and green printed circuit board. Another one we used just SIM cards, cladding it like scales or feathers."
O2 is looking to have the butterflies in stores in the U.K. as a way to promote their recycling campaign while also letting consumers use the devices.
