Milk bottles have all but disappeared, cloth nappies are thankfully a rarity, then there's shaving razors, cameras- just about everything these days comes in disposable form. Soon mobile phones will join the list with Californian company Hop-on cell phone announcing plans for low cost digital mobile phone units sold with 60 minutes of prepaid calling time that can be topped-up when expired or returned to the vendor for a cash rebate. The 5 x 8 cm phone is equipped with a hands-free kit and battery recharger and will initially provide coverage throughout most of the US before an international presence is established.

Designed to cater for those who don't need to constantly use a mobile as well as being a convenient piece of safety equipment for holidays and camping trips, the Hop-on phone is available in different models to suit GSM, CDMA, and TDMA protocols. The other big plus is that the phones can be readily recycled and like cameras in the 90's, it wont be long before the disposable phone is a common sight in supermarket aisles and at service stations around Australia.