Apple Greener, Nokia regains lead in electronics ranking

The electronics ranking guide has been our answer to getting the electronics industry to face up to the problem of e-waste. We want manufacturers to take responsibility for the unprotected child laborers who scavenge the growing mountains of disgarded electronics produced by our gadget-loving ways.

We've been happily surprised at how quickly many corporations have risen to the competitive challenge. It's especially rewarding to see more than a few CEOs openly vying for the top green spot, and challenging their competitors to adopt industry-wide policies to reduce the problem of e-waste.

In the current ranking, Dell and Chinese manufacturer Lenovo are tied for second place. Dell scores top marks for reporting its current recycling rate based on sales 7 years ago, and for a strong global take-back policy for outdated gear.

Lenovo's support for precautionary policies and legislation making producers responsible for their products at the end of their lifetime translated into high marks for them. In the April version of the ranking guide, Lenovo scored higher points for a global takeback policy. However, our investigation of the implementation of this policy in practice reveals incomplete implementation.

Both Dell and Lenovo's programs are not available outside of countries where they sell directly, and neither provides complete information on their takeback policies.

Sony-Ericsson and Samsung pull up third and fourth with limited recycling programs in a few countries and good, but uneven, performance on other criteria for removing toxic chemicals.

This quarter's ranking shows that 12 of the 14 companies assessed have now scored 5 or more out of ten: an industry-wide improvement in harmful chemicals and waste policies. Which company will be the first to get top marks in the guide?

Apple rises, Sony falls

Sony is the biggest loser in this edition of our guide, falling to the bottom alongside LGE, after being penalized for double standards on their waste policies.

Apple was the lowest-ranked electronics manufacturer in the last Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, but makes the biggest jump this time, into 10th place, thanks to pressure from Apple fans around the world through the Green my Apple campaign.

Apple may start to rival other, greener companies if their much-awaited iPhone becomes the company's first truly greener product. There's no reason it can't. Apple uses at least one of the same suppliers that currently provide Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, and other phone manufacturers with components free of PVC and brominated flame retardants.

"Clearly, companies are racing to produce greener products" says Iza Kruszewska, our Toxics Campaigner. “Steve Job's latest commitment to eliminate toxics materials, moved Apple up the chart and they now face a challenge, with the iPhone, to meet customer expectations to be the environmental leader Apple-lovers want.”
 
More and more companies are providing information on products that are free from the worst chemicals. For example, as of March 2007, Panasonic has many examples of 100 percent PVC-free products on the market, including DVD players and recorders, and now provides a list of products that are PVC-free. Meanwhile, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola are introducing increasing numbers of models that are also free from PVC and brominated flame retardants.
 
The Greenpeace Guide clearly demonstrates that companies are starting to take responsibility for taking back and recycling their own-branded waste, for extended voluntary programs, and for providing information to customers on what to do with discarded electronics.