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Electronics campaign timeline

Toxic chemicals in our environment threaten our rivers and lakes, our air, land, and oceans, and ultimately ourselves and our future. Greenpeace's Toxic Tech campaign has pressured the consumer electronics industry since 2005 to act responsibly, take back their e-waste, stop using the most harmful chemicals in their products, and even join with public health- and environmental groups calling for those chemicals to be banned.

See highlights from our campaign to-date below, or browse the latest Guide to Greener Electronics here.

Guide to Greener Electronics Campaign Timeline

2004

Photo: Samsung

Jan

Samsung is the first company to commit to eliminate PVC and BFRs in all consumer electronics products but without a specific timeline.

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2005

Greenpeace launches the Toxic Tech Campaign calling on real environmental leadership from the electronics industry.

Jan
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Photo: Sony Ericsson

Jan

Sony Ericsson agrees to phase out toxic chemicals.

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Photo: Nokia

Nokia releases the first PVC free mobile phone.

Jan
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Photo: A worker in a electronic waste (e-waste) recycling yard in Delhi. Greenpeace releases a report of its scientific investigations into the hazardous chemicals found in the scrap yards where electronic waste is recycled in China and India.

Aug

Greenpeace releases the report Toxic Tech: Recycling of Electronic Waste in China and India exposing toxic pollution to workers and the environment from recycling e-waste containing toxic chemicals.

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2006

Photo: One of series of actions that lead to HP's change of heart on phasing out the worst toxic chemicals from its products.

Mar

HP commits to produce a phase out plan for a range of hazardous chemicals in its products.

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Dell announces 2009 deadline to eliminate PVC and BFRs from all its products.

Jun
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Samsung Phone

Aug

Samsung commits to phase out BFRs in all products by 2010, and PVC in all products by January 2011. Read More Here

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LGE

LGE states that all new models released in 2010 will be BFR free and that all remaining use of PVC will be phased out by the end of 2010.

Sep
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Sep

The first Guide to Greener Electronics is launched, Version 1 guide. It proves to be an instant hit with a public eager to learn about companies environmental polices. Nokia and Dell share the top spot - Apple, Motorola & Lenovo at the bottom.

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HP laptops

Greenpeace finds a type of BFR in HP laptops after the company stated this chemical had been eliminated; HP picks up a penalty point in the Guide.

Sep
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activist greenmyapple

Sep

Greenpeace launches the GreenMyApple campaign website, which receives over 100,000 visitors in the first 3 days.

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Version 2 of the Guide to Greener Electronics. More companies make commitments, Lenovo and Acer commit to eliminate PVC and BFRs by the end of 2009.

Dec
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Greenpeace activists

Dec

Greenpeace 'greens' Apple New York City Store as the company refuses to commitment to a phase out of dangerous chemicals in product lines.

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2007

Version 3 Guide to Greener Electronics. Lenovo takes the top spot, Apple is now last

Apr
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Green my apple

May

Victory: As a result of thousands of Apple fans calling for a Greener Apple, Steve Jobs responds with a personal letter that announces an end-2008 deadline to remove PVC and BFR from all new products. Read more here

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Version 4. Apple jumps to 10th place, Nokia regains lead

Jun
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Electronic waste in Guiyu, Children

Jul

Greenpeace study exposes alarming toxic contamination in Guiyu, China due to the disposal of electronic waste.

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Indian Guide, | version 1 pdf. Greenpeace India launches an Indian version of the Guide to Greener Electronics, initiating major improvements by market leaders Wipro and HCL.

Aug
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Sep

Version 5. LGE & Sony have penalty points lifted for leaving a US Industry Coalition (EMCRR) which lobbies against producer responsibility

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iphone revealed

Missed Call: iPhon's hazardous chemicals. Tests reveal presence of hazardous substances in iPhone. See report here.

Oct
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Nov

Version 6. TV and games consoles manufacturers Philips, Sharp, Microsoft and Nintendo are added to the Guide

Nintendo becomes the first company to receive zero points on the Guide to Greener Electronics

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Greenpeace launches 'Clash of the Consoles' website, for gamers to encourage their favorite companies to become champions in the elimination of toxic chemicals.

Dec
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2008

Jan

Version 7. Steve Jobs launches the new MacBook Air at Macworld, with BFR and PVC free wiring in its motherboard.

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toxic phones

Greenpeace releases the report Toxic Tech: Not in My Backyard, which exposes a highly dangerous and often illegal e-waste trail from rich countries to dumping in developing countries.

Feb
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Mar

Greenpeace launches its first Product Survey of greener electronics, headed by Sony and Sony Ericsson products.

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Version 7. Samsung and Toshiba share the top spot

Mar
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Mar

Greenpeace calls on Philips to take responsibility for its e-waste.

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Version 8. Company scores plummet as Greenpeace raises the bar on the criteria for the Guide to Greener Electronics, adding criteria on climate change, the elimination of additional toxic chemicals and the use of recycled plastic in products.

Jun
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Ghanan Kids

Aug

Greenpeace releases the report Poisoning the Poor - Electronic Waste in Ghana, building the case that exports of e-waste are poisoning people in the global south. Watch video here.

Greenpeace pressure helps to dismantle the Electronic Manufacturers' Coalition for Responsible Recycling (EMCRR), a US coalition of electronics companies lobbying against Producer Responsibility for their own obsolete products.

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Greenpeace pressure helps to dismantle the Electronic Manufacturers' Coalition for Responsible Recycling (EMCRR), a US coalition of electronics companies lobbying against Producer Responsibility for their own obsolete products.

Aug
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Sep

Version 9. Nokia regains the lead as its penalty point is lifted due to improved take-back practice in India

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Greenpeace calls on Philips to 'Simply Take Back and Recycle' during a demonstration in Moscow's Red Square. Read more here

Oct
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Nov

Version 10. Companies stall on real climate action.

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2009

product survey

Greenpeace launches second Product Survey 'Greener Electronics: The Search Continues' at the Consumer Electronics Show 2009.

Jan
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Feb

Philips sets ambitious take-back policies for electronic waste

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Scrap Pakistan

Greenpeace releases photo essay on electronic scrapyards in Pakistan.

Feb
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nigerian boys fire

Feb

Greenpeace tracks the journey of one television from a recycling center in the UK to a scrapyard in Nigeria. Read more here.

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All Apple products are now virtually PVC/BFR free, meeting its commitment; it is the first company to eliminate these substances from computing products, (with the exception of power cords).

Mar
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Mar

Version 11. Dell, Lenovo and HP backtrack on commitments to phase out PVC and BFRs and receive penalty points.

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cool IT cards

Greenpeace launches the Cool IT Challenge, calling on the IT industry to lead the world in climate change solutions.

Apr
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Jul

Version 12. HP, Dell and Lenovo continue to be penalised for breaking promises

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hazardous products

William Shatner and Greenpeace call on HP to stop dragging its feet by delaying its own deadline to eliminate toxic chemicals at its Palo Alto, CA headquarters.

Jul
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Sep

Version 13. HP's penalty point is lifted following release of a PVC/BFR free notebook, Apple opens up on carbon emissions, and LGE served a penalty point for broken promises

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cool IT

Version 2 of Cool IT Challenge is launched

Oct
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Sony Ericsson Phones
Dec

By the end of 2010 all new Sony Ericsson mobile phones and accessories are completely free from PVC and BFRs

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2010

Jan

Version 14 HP is congratulated for releasing the first Windows based desktop free from BFRs and PVC, Samsung is penalised for missing its deadline to phase out BFRs.

Nokia achieves its goal to phase out BFRs, CFRs and antimony trioxide in all new products.

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Greenpeace releases 'Toxic Transformers: the hazards of brominated and chlorinated substances in electrical and electronic equipment', showing that toxic by-products are an unavoidable consequence of the recycling and disposal of electronics containing brominated and chlorinated substances.

Feb
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Samsung equals broken promises

Mar

Greenpeace climbers scale the Benelux headquarters of Samsung, with the message "Samsung = Broken Promises" in response to backtracking on its commitments.

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dell protest

Greenpeace protests in Denmark, The Netherlands, and India demand that Michael Dell sticks to his commitment to eliminate PVC and BFRs.

Mar
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wipro

Mar

Indian companies Wipro and HCL launch PVC and BFR free computing products, with a desktop from Wipro in January and a laptop from HCL in March.

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dell protest texas

Version 15. Greenpeace protests outside Dell's global headquarters in Texas highlight Dell's continued stalling in phasing out PVC and BFRs. Toshiba is penalised for missing its deadline of April 2010 for phasing out PVC and BFRs and Samsung is penalised further for misleading.

May
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philips tv

Sep

Philips releases industry's first PVC and BFR free television in Europe

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Version 16 finds the industry split between leaders and laggards. Microsoft receives penalty point for backtracking on its 2010 deadline to eliminate PVC and BFRs, Toshiba is penalised further for misleading.

Oct
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2011

product survey 3

Greenpeace releases 3rd edition of Product Survey at the Consumer Electronics Show, highlighting the progress the electronics industry has made and the greenest products currently on the market; Samsung, Acer, Asus, and HP have the greenest products in their respective categories. Read more here

Jan
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Nov

The new Guide ranks 15 gadget and electronics companies on energy, greener products and sustainable operations. HP takes the lead at 5.9 out of a possible 10 points, followed by Dell, Nokia and Apple.

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2012

The eighteeenth version of the Guide to Greener Electronics shows improvement on renewable energy investment and climate leadership from a number of companies, including Wipro, the first Asian headquartered company to top the Guide rankings.

Nov
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