How the companies line up 14th edition

Background - 25 May, 2010
This is an archive of our ranking guide from January 2010. The Guide to Greener Electronics 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. We first released our green IT guide in August 2006. The latest edition is always available here.

Please note: This is a previous edition of our ranking. Click here for the latest edition of the Guide to Greener Electronics

Nokia
Nokia 7.3
14th Edition, January 2010

Nokia stays in 1st place with a slightly reduced score of 7.3, losing a point for failing to do proactive lobbying for the revised RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances inelectronics) Directive to adopt a methodology for further restrictions of hazardous substances, and immediately ban chlorinated and brominated substances. As of this version of the Guide, Criterion C1 has been sharpened to require companies not only to have a chemicals policy underpinned by the precautionary principle, but also to support a revisionof the RoHS Directive that bans further harmful substances, specifically brominated flame retardants (BFRs), chlorinated flame retardants (CFRs) and PVC vinyl plastic.

Nokia background | Nokia report PDF

Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson 6.9
14th Edition, January 2010

Sony Ericsson moves up to 2nd place, with an increased score of 6.9, up from 3rd place with a score of 6.5 in v.13. It is the best performer on the toxic chemicals criteria of all the ranked brands, being the first to score full marks on all chemicals criteria. It also scores well on energy.

Ericsson background | Ericsson report PDF

Toshiba
Toshiba 5.3
14th Edition, January 2010

Toshiba moves up to 3rd place, from 5th, even though its score drops from 5.7 points in v.13 to 5.3 points. It loses a point for failing to support the need for RoHS 2.0 Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics, currently being revised) to adopt an end-of-life methodology for adding new substances and an immediate ban on organochlorine and bromine compounds. It risks losing more points if it fails to bring to market new models of all its consumer electronics products free of PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) by 1 April 2010, its own timeline for meeting this commitment

Toshiba background | Toshiba report PDF

Philips
Philips 5.3
14th Edition, January 2010

Philips stays in 4th place despite a reduced score of 5.3, down from 5.9 points in v.13. While Philips scores well on both toxic chemical and energy issues, it loses points for failing to support the need for the RoHS 2.0 Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics, currently being revised) to adopt an end-of-life focused methodology for adding new substances and an immediate ban on organo-chlorine and bromine compounds.

Philips background | Philips report PDF

Apple
Apple 5.1
14th Edition, January 2010

Apple continues its climb up the ranking from 11th place in v.12 to 9th in v.13 and is now in 5th place, with a score of 5.1 points, up from 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. In this evaluation, Apple wins and loses some points on toxic chemicals, but gains on energy.

All Apple products are now free of PVC and BFRs, with the exception of PVC-free power cords in countries where their safety certificationprocess is still ongoing. For this Apple continues to score full marks (doubled). The tightened C1 criterion now requires companies not only to have a chemicals policyinformed by the precautionary principle, but also to show support for bans on PVC vinyl plastic and brominated/chlorinated flame retardants (CFRs/BFRs) during the revisionof the EU’s RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics).

Apple background | Apple report PDF

LG Electronics
LG Electronics 5.1
14th Edition, January 2010

LG Electronics moves back up the ranking from 11th to 6th place, with its score rising from 4.7 points to 5.1. It continues to be weighed down by the penalty point imposed for back-tracking on its commitment to have all its products free of PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) by the end of 2010. Now only mobile phones will be free of these toxic substances from 2010; TVs, monitors and PCs have to wait until 2012 and household appliance models until 2014. LGE has launched its first mobile phone that is free from PVC and BFRs and has six models of ‘halogen-free’ Optical Disk Drives.

LG Electronics background | LG Electronics report PDF

Sony
Sony 5.1
14th Edition, January 2010

Sony moves up from 8th place to 7th, tying with Motorola and Samsung with the same overall score of 5.1. It gains a point for reporting absolute cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, down 17 percent over the 8 year period 2000-2008. Renewable energy now accounts for 8 percent of the total amount of energy purchased globally each year, up from 2.5 percent a year ago. Sony also scores points for disclosing externally verified greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations. On the energy efficiency of its products, Sony reports that 75 percent of VAIO PCs released between April and August 2009 meet the latest ES requirements. The AC adapter released in financial year 2009 meets Energy Star v.2.0 standards. All new models of TVs released in the US comply with the latest Energy Star standards, and 78percent exceed it by 15 percent or more.

Sony background | Sony report PDF

Motorola
Motorola 5.1
14th Edition, January 2010

Motorola drops from 6th to 7th place (tied with Sony and Samsung), with a slightly reduced score of 5.1, down from 5.3 points, losing points for failing to support the need for RoHS 2.0 (EU Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics, currently being revised) to adopt an end-of-life focused methodology for adding new substances and an immediate ban on organo-chlorine and bromine compounds. Motorola also needs to clarify its position regarding the position of the trade federation TechAmerica on further restrictions and in particular PVC vinyl plastic, chlorinated flame retardants (CFRs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) within 3-5 years.

Motorola background | Motorola report PDF

Samsung
Samsung 5.1
14th Edition, January 2010

Samsung drops down the ranking from 2nd place to joint 7th (tied with Sony and Motorola), as a result of a penalty point imposed for backtracking on its commitment to eliminate brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in new models of all products by January 2010 and PVC by end of 2010. Its new timeline for removing BFRs and PVC in new models of notebooks is 1 January 2011 but there is now no time line for removing these substances in TVs and household appliances. It also loses points for failing to show support for improvements to the revised EU RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics); specifically, a methodology for further restrictions of hazardous substances, and an immediate ban on BFRs, chlorinated flame retardants (CFRs) and PVC vinyl plastic.

Samsung background | Samsung report PDF

Panasonic
Panasonic 4.9
14th Edition, January 2010

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.

Panasonic's score on use of toxic chemicals is boosted by many models of PVC-free products on the market, including DVD players and recorders, home cinemas, video players and lighting equipment. Panasonic gives two examples of products free of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) – fluorescent ceiling lamps and a kitchen lamp. Despite putting these PVC-free and BFR-free products on the market, Panasonic has yet to commit to fully eliminating all PVC and BFRs across its whole product portfolio. It also fails to show support for improvements to the revised EU RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics); specifically, a methodology for further restrictions of hazardous substances, and an immediate ban on BFRs, chlorinated flame retardants (CFRs) and PVC vinyl plastic.

Panasonic background | Panasonic report PDF

HP
HP 4.7
14th Edition, January 2010

HP climbs to 11th place from 14th with an increased score of 4.7 (up from 4.5), due to support for global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) to peak and decline within thenext decade and improved reporting on the percentage of products complying with the latest Energy Star standard for energy efficiency of products.

HP background | HP report PDF

Acer
Acer 4.5
14th Edition, January 2010

Acer rises from 13th to 12th place, with the same score of 4.5 points.

Acer scores most points for its efforts on toxic chemicals. It is proactively supporting improvements to the revised EU RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics); specifically, a methodology for further restrictions of hazardous substances, and an immediate ban on brominated flame retardants (BFRs), chlorinated flame retardants (CFRs) and PVC vinyl plastic, for which it scores maximum points. Acer also scores points for putting on the market 16 models of monitors with many parts that are almost free of PVC vinyl plastic and BFRs, except for the power cord.

Acer background - Acer report PDF

Sharp
Sharp 4.5
14th Edition, January 2010

Sharp drops to 13th place from 7th, with a reduced score of 4.5 points. Sharp loses points for failing to show support for improvements to the revised EU RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics); specifically, a methodology for further restrictions of hazardous substances, and an immediate ban on brominated flameretardants (BFRs), chlorinated flame retardants (CFRs) and PVC vinyl plastic.

Sharp background | Sharp report PDF

Dell
Dell 3.9
14th Edition, January 2010

Dell drops to 14th position from 12th, with a reduced score of 3.9, down from 4.7 points in v.13. Dell’s score has plummeted due to the penalty point imposed forbacktracking on its commitment to eliminate PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in all its products by the end of 2009.

Dell background | Dell report PDF

Fujitsu
Fujitsu 3.5
14th Edition, January 2010

Fujitsu moves up the ranking to 15th place from 16th, increasing its score from 2.7 to 3.5 points. Fujitsu gains most of its extra points on energy for supporting the need for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to peak by 2015 and for industrialised countries to cut GHG emissions by up to 30 percent. It also gains points for reporting that 100 percent of its notebook and tablet PCs released globally comply with the latest Energy Star standard. Fujitsu reports verified GHG emissions from its own operations for 2008, which have been reduced from 2007 and on renewable energy use only in Europe, which is at least 15 percent of purchased electricity in 2007. Fujitsu has no commitment to reduce absolute GHG emissions.

Fujitsu background | Fujitsu report PDF

Lenovo
Lenovo 2.5
14th Edition, January 2010

Lenovo moves up one place to 16th position, with the same score of 2.5 points. It remains encumbered by a penalty point imposed for backtracking on its commitment toeliminate PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in all its products by the end of 2009.

Lenovo background | Lenovo report PDF

Microsoft
Microsoft 2.4
14th Edition, January 2010

Microsoft drops to 17th position from 15th with a reduced score of 2.4 points, down from 2.7.

It loses most points on the chemicals criteria, as it fails to show support for improvements to the revised EU RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics); specifically, a methodology for further restrictions of hazardous substances, and an immediate ban on brominated flame retardants (BFRs), chlorinated flame retardants (CFRs) and PVC vinyl plastic. The company has committed to removing PVC and BFRs from its hardware products by or before 2010, and phthalates by the end of 2010. However, it needs to put products on the market that are free from BFRs in printed circuit boards before it can score points for this criterion.

Microsoft background | Microsoft report PDF

Nintendo
Nintendo 1.4
14th Edition, January 2010

Nintendo remains in last place with the same score of 1.4 out of 10.

Nintendo scores most points on chemicals; it has put games consoles on the market that have PVC-free internal wiring. It has banned phthalates and is monitoring use of antimony and beryllium. Although it is endeavouring to eliminate the use of PVC, it has not set a timeline for its phase-out.

Nintendo background | Nintendo report PDF

Ranking criteria explained

The ranking criteria reflect the demands of the Toxic Tech campaign to the electronics companies. Our three demands are that companies should:

  • Clean up their products by eliminating hazardous substances.
  • Take back and recycle their products responsibly once they become obsolete.
  • Reduce the climate impacts of their operations and products.

The use of harmful chemicals in electronics prevents their safe recycling when the products are discarded. Companies scored marks out of 51 this has then been calculated to a mark out of 10 for simplicity.

Follow the 'Read full report' link beside each company for the full details of their score. Click on the company name to see how well the company did over the past. The full criteria for scoring the companies is available. Download the full pdf of the score card.

Each score is based solely on public information on the companies website. Companies found not to be following their published policies will be deducted penalty point in future versions of the guide.

The guide is updated every few months. The current edition was published on January 7, 2010.

For more detailed explanation check our Q&A about the Guide to Greener Electronics.

Disclaimer:

Our 'Guide to Greener Electronics' aims to clean up the electronics sector and get manufacturers to take responsibility for the full life cycle of their products, including the electronic waste that their products generate. The guide does not rank companies on labour standards, mining, or any other issues, but recognises that these are important in the production and use of electronics products. For more on the social impacts of the electronics industry visit Good Electronics and Make IT Fair.

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