Fairphone
3D Hubs and Fairphone partner up to produce cases in less than 24 Hours
As a society we’re starting to come round to the idea that cheap labour for cheap clothing is wrong. Primark, Gap and other high street stores have come under fire as various reports suggested that in their supply chain was child labour.
An estimated 158 million children aged from five to 14 work in hazardous situations around the world. But it isn’t just the garment retail industry that has come under scrutiny; yesterday, Samsung Electronics was reported to be looking into China Labor Watch’s allegations that at least five child workers were found at a Samsung supplier.
Fairphone a startup, which has sold just shy of 18,000 units, aims to change the way we look at the most popular electronic device on the market, the smartphone.
Fairphone say that they are putting social values first by opening up the supply chain, from the mining of the resources to the safe recycling of used phones. They’ve enlisted the help of 3D Hubs to create a localised production of custom phone cases.
When we visited the 3D Hubs HQ recently we were told by Head of Community, Filemon Schöffer that 3D Hubs were aiming to change the traditional B2C and B2B business models by creating the first C2B model. This collaboration with Fairphone is a fantastic example of consumers becoming the production line for business.
Fairphone fans will be able to purchase a case on the fairphone website and chose a local production partner on 3D Hubs for their case to be made, the design to manufacture process(3D Printing) will take less than 24 hours.
To celebrate the launch of this small example of what 3D Hubs hope to achieve the partners are running a Design a Day challenge. Users are being encouraged to share their ideas for phone cases and talented 3D designer, Joris van Tubergen will pick the best ones, refine and have them available to buy in the store to be printed within a day.
