Leading UK mobile phone network O2 is too lunch an eco-rating system to help customers make a sustainable choice when buying a new handset. However Apple have already said that they don’t want the iPhone to be part of the new scheme.

Each mobile handset in the new system will be rated based on its overall environmental impact during its lifespan. This will include what raw materials it contains, how much packaging is used, its longevity, its energy efficiency and how easy each device is to reuse or recycle.

O2’s new eco-rating system is part of their new ‘Think Big’ programme which intends to bring sustainable products and services to their customers.

Phone makers such as Samsung, Nokia and Sony Ericsson has already joined the new scheme.

Apple have declined to comment on why they have excluded the iPhone but have highlighted that they already have environmental reporting on their own website. The company has also stated that an iPhone has twice the carbon footprint of a comparable Sony Ericsson phone.