As much as 4,000 tonnes of toxic e-waste are discarded every hour.
We love to see electronic products manufacturers competing for
who can outgreen whom.
In one of the best outcomes of our quarterly "Green Ranking"
we've seen Michael Dell challenge the entire industry to adopt a
worldwide takeback policy (something we put on our wish list to
Dell when the campaign first started), watched some companies meet
and then exceed our demands, and enjoyed getting phone calls from
other manufacturers asking when, precisely, new policies needed to
be adopted in order to be reflected in the next ranking.
Sony-Ericsson not only took up our demand to eliminate (take a
deep breath and say this fast) brominated fire retardants and
polyvinyl chloride -- they're eliminating beryllium and phthalates
too. And Chinese manufacturer Lenovo has jumped from last place to
the middle of the pack to top dog in six months: all they need to
do for a perfect 10 is to get a green product on the market.
Competitive pressure, ongoing dialogue with Greenpeace
campaigners, and consumer expectations have driven an improvement
in companies' scores since the December 2006 edition of the Guide,
with nine out of 14 companies now scoring more than five points out
of 10.
© Greenpeace / Natalie Behring
In our newest ranking, Chinese PC maker Lenovo displaces Nokia
from the lead position it enjoyed since the Guide was launched.
Sony and LG Electronics receive penalty points for operating double
standards on their e-waste takeback policies across the world,
while Apple, having made no progress since the launch of the Guide
in August 2006, continues to languish in last place, far behind all
other major manufacturers. (Are you a surprised and disappointed
Apple user? We are too. All of us who love Apple are giving them a
push by writing to Steve Jobs, giving our Macs a
hug, and participating in other ways in the Green my
Apple campaign.)
"Given the growing mountains of e-waste in China - both imported
and domestically generated - it is heartening to see a Chinese
company taking the lead, and assuming responsibility at least for
its own branded waste," said Iza Kruszewska, our International
Toxics Campaigner, "The challenge for the industry now is to see
who will actually place greener products on the market."
© Greenpeace / Natalie Behring
Lenovo, which bought IBM's consumer electronics division in
2005, scores top marks on its e-waste policies and practice; the
company offers takeback and recycling in all the countries where
its products are sold. Lenovo also reports the amount of e-waste it recycles as a
percentage of its sales. However, the company has yet to put on the
market products that are free of the worst chemicals.
Other companies in the top five include Nokia (2nd), Sony
Ericsson (3rd) Dell (4th) and Samsung (5th).
Sony Ericsson has moved back up the guide (they were 5th in
December 2006) and is the first company to set a timeline of 1st
January 2008 for eliminating substances in addition to those banned
by the European RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances
in electronic products), including phthalates, beryllium and some
uses of antimony compounds.
Sony and LG Electronics have been penalised for practicing
double standards on their regional and national policies for
recycling their own-branded products. While both companies support
Individual Producer Responsibility elsewhere in the world, in the
United States they are part of a
coalition opposing producer responsibility laws and calling for
consumers, instead of producers, to pay for the recycling of
e-waste.
© Greenpeace / Natalie Behring
"We expect companies to have consistent global policies and
treat all their customers equally. With this edition of the Guide,
we're seeing some companies move beyond good statements of
principle and towards real action, with the roll-out of voluntary
take-back programs and detailed information being provided to
customers. But companies have to stay on the ball and progress in
step with the market. Existing commitments from companies begin to
look less impressive on this dynamic score card as their
competitors raise the bar!" concluded Kruszewska.
See the
ranking and
full report.
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