Sony Ericsson unveiled two new mobile phones Thursday that it says will further its commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of all its products by 15 per cent by 2015.

The C901 GreenHeart and the Naite are part of what the company said will form a new portfolio of environmentally friendly products that will include at least 50 per cent recycled plastic, a low-energy charger and a light sensor for the screen that reduces energy consumption.

Much of the cuts in carbon dioxide emissions will result from a significant reduction in the amount of paper that comes with the phones. They'll be shipped in smaller packages that contain no plastic wrapping, and the paper manual will be replaced by an electronic version on the phones.

Sony Ericsson is a joint venture between Sweden's L.M. Ericsson Telephone Co. and Japan's Sony Corp.

"Since the start of the joint venture in 2001, Sony Ericsson has strived to exceed industry standards in the removal of harmful substances and [in the use of] energy efficient chargers," president Dick Komiyama said in a release.

The company said it will also significantly increase the volume of phones it collects for recycling, with a target of one million phones annually from its own system starting in 2011.