Publication - 24 November, 2008
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Executive summary: Samsung drops to 4th place but increases its score to 5.9, scoring well on chemicals and waste criteria.Since November 2007, all new models of LCD panels are PVC-free, important in driving the market to phase out PVC, with Samsung being the #1 supplier globally. The company has launched partially BFR-free models of mobile phone and developed halogen-free memory chips and semiconductors for certain applications. Samsung’s scores well on e-waste; it reports recycling rates of 137% for TVs (based on past sales 10 years ago, the average life span, since when Samsung’s TV sales have increased 10-fold), 12% for PCs (based on 7 year lifespan) and 9% for mobile phones (based on 2 year lifespan). However to score top marks, Samsung needs to put a reality check on the EU figures of e-waste recycled. It also scores top marks on its use of recycled plastic, which is 16.1%, though only 0.2% is post-consumer plastic, with a goal to increase to 25% by 2008. On energy, Samsung score improves, gaining points for disclosing total GHG emissions from its operations in Korea (the majority of its operations) and double points on the energy efficiency of its battery chargers, all of which meet and 99.4% of which exceed the Energy Star standard.