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Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics
The guide ranks the 18 top manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TVs and games consoles according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change.
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Greenpeace first released the Guide to Greener Electronics in August 2006. The guide ranks the 18 top manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TVs and games consoles according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change.
Nokia stays in 1st place with the same score of 7.5 that it scored in v.12. Nokia scores maximum points for its comprehensive voluntary take-back programme, which spans 84 countries providing almost 5,000 collection points for end-of-life mobile phones. It now also scores top marks for the information it provides to customers on what to do with their discarded products. However, its recycling rate of 3 to 5 percent is very poor and more information is needed on how Nokia calculates these figures. It also needs to start using recycled plastics beyond just packaging.
Samsung holds its position in 2nd place with a slightly reduced score of 6.9, down from 7.1, as a result of failing to extend its take-back programme to non-OECD countries. Samsung scores relatively well on all the criteria.
Sony Ericsson stays in 3rd place with the same score of 6.5. It is one of the best performers on the toxic chemicals criteria of all the ranked brands and also does well on energy.
Philips climbs from 7th to 4th place with an increased score of 5.9 points (up from 5.3), improving its score on e-waste and energy criteria. Philips now supports Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR), is engaging in a European NGO and industry coalition in support of IPR and is committed to actively work towards developing IPR-based recycling systems and their supporting financial mechanisms. It gains points on energy, for reporting to the latest Energy Star standard. All TVs sold in the US and 90 percent of European models meet Energy Star v.3.
Toshiba stays in 5th place with a slight improvement to its score of 5.7, up from 5.5, for improved reporting on the recycling rates for TVs (21.2 percent in 2008) and PCs (12.8 percent) based on sales 10 and 7 years ago, respectively.
Motorola remains in 6th place, with a slightly reduced score of 5.3 points, which it loses for only committing to eliminate PVC and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in mobile devices and not all its products. Motorola scores relatively well on the chemicals criteria and has a goal to eliminate PVC and BFRs in all products introduced after 2010, despite the fact that Sony Ericsson has already achieved this goal and Nokia is almost there. Motorola has seven current models (in addition to 52 previously available models) of mobile phone whose circuit boards are free of BFRs, but only two models are free of PVC.
Sony leaps from 12th place to 8th with an improved score of 5.1. It gains points on the precautionary principle criterion and for improving its expression of support for Individual Producer Responsibility.
Apple climbs up the ranking from 11th place to 9th, with a score of 4.9. Apple does best on the toxic chemicals criteria, where it scores most of its points. It scores substantially less on waste and energy.
Panasonic remains in 10th place with the same score. It performs best on the energy criteria and is weakest on those relating to e-waste and recycling.
LG Electronics plummets down the ranking from 4th place to 11th, with its score dropping from 5.7 to 4.7 points. This is due to the penalty point imposed for backtracking on its commitment to have all its products free of PVC and BFRs by the end of 2010. Now only mobile phones (no longer mobile products) will be free of these toxic substances from 2010; the timeline for eliminating them in TVs and monitors has been delayed until 2012. BFRs are still to be eliminated in other product lines like washing machines, but no timeline is given. PVC will be totally banned from use in household appliance models by 2014. LGE has launched new models of mobile phones, some of whose components are PVC- and BFR-free. European LCD TVs are produced with halogen free housing, wiring and integrated circuit drive. It provides a timeline of 2012 for eliminating phthalates and antimony but only in new models of mobile phones (no longer all mobile products) and TVs.
Dell moves up into 12th (from 13th) position, with a slightly improved score of 4.7 points, up from 3.9 points in v.12. Dell?s score has plummeted due to the penalty point imposed for backtracking on its commitment to eliminate PVC and BFRs in all its products by the end of 2009. Dell no longer has a timeline for eliminating these substances, which means there is no commitment to phase them out entirely.
Acer drops down the ranking from 11th to 13th place, with a reduced score of 4.7 points, losing points as a lower percentage of its PCs meet the new, stricter Energy Star 5.0 standards for energy efficiency. At present, 55 percent of Acer notebook computers and 29 percent of desktop PCs meet the new Energy Star v.5 standard; previously, 71.3 percent of Acer notebook PCs, 38.5 percent of desktop PCs met the old ES v.4. Acer also lost a point for not making more progress in extending its voluntary e-waste take-back programme beyond India.
HP stays in 14th place with an increased score of 4.5 (up from 3.5), despite the lifting of the penalty point imposed for backtracking on its commitment to eliminate PVC and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in computing products by end of 2009. In September 2009, HP released a moderately priced notebook for business customers with the option of a PVC and BFR free configuration, except for the power supply and power cable. A condition for lifting the penalty point was putting a PC on the market free of PVC and BFRs. HP could improve its score on chemicals by committing to eliminate additional harmful substances and putting more products (including printers) on the market free of PVC and BFRs.
Microsoft stays in 15th position but with an increased score of 2.7 points, up from 2.5 points, as it has now engaged in an EU coalition supporting Individual Producer Responsibility. On other e-waste criteria, Microsoft fails to score any points.
Fujitsu moves up the ranking by one place from penultimate (17th) position with a score of 2.4 to 16th place with 2.7 points, above Nintendo and Lenovo. Fujitsu scores equally poorly across the three issues.
Lenovo drops from 16th to 17th position with its score remaining on 2.5 points, encumbered by a penalty point imposed for backtracking on its commitment to eliminate PVC and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in all its products by the end of 2009. Lenovo new timeline for meeting this commitment of end of 2010 is to be dropped and there is no new timeline. No timeline means no commitment.
Nintendo remains in last place but with an increased score of 1.4 out of 10, up from 1 point in v.12, for the energy efficiency of its low power AC adaptor for the Nintendo DSi that meets the requirements on the external power supply in the Energy Star Program. On other energy criteria it loses a point due to a second year of increases in greenhouse gas emissions, despite a commitment to cut CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases by 2 percent over each previous year. Emissions in 2007 increased by 1.5 percent compared to 2006, following a rise of 6 percent in 2006. Nintendo retains a point on energy for disclosing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its own operations.
