Page - April 26, 2010
Another giant consumer electronics manufacturer, like Toshiba, the Dutch company Philips makes everything from home appliances, dvds to televisions and medical equipment.
Formerly the "bad guys" in the Guide to Greener Electronics (only added in 2007) - Philips have made some considerable headway since then, in particular, by switching to supporting the Individual Producer Responsibility principle, (which meant accepting their responsibility for the toxic impacts of their products on e-waste dumps around the world).
Again, with a huge product range, it is complex to phase out toxic chemicals like poly vinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), but Philips was slow to get on track. Originally the company argued consumers and governments should also pay for the clean-up when their products reached the scrap heap. Now their position is based on commitment to be more responsible, so Philips needs to show real action to lessens its negative environmental impact.
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