Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics ranks companies according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change. From best to worst, here are Greenpeace`s rankings of 18 electronic manufacturers.
1.
Nokia earns first place for the second year in a row. Nokia does best on the toxic chemicals criteria, followed by energy, and does least well on e-waste issues. All Nokia's new mobile phones have been free of PVC since the end of 2005, and all phones and accessories launched in 2010 are on track to be free of brominated compounds, chlorinated flame retardants and antimony trioxide. However, Nokia is not in full support of the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics) 2.0 Directive.
Nokia background Nokia report PDF2.
Sony Ericsson remains in 2nd place for the second year in a row. The company is first in the toxic chemicals criteria and is the only company with a perfect score. It also does well on energy. All Sony Ericsson products are already free from most PVCs and brominated compounds. In 2008 Sony Ericsson banned antimony, beryllium and phthalates from new models. Sony Ericsson is lobbying in the EU for the revision of the RoHS to include a 3 to 5 year timeline for further restrictions on organo-chlorine and bromine substances.
Sony Ericsson background Sony Ericsson report PDF3. Although
Philips has improved over last year, it remains in 3rd place. Philips has an LED TV that is free from PVC and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), the first product in this category to be free from these hazardous substances. Philips also has several other products that are PVC and BFR-free. The company has been Beryllium free since 2008. However, it fails to support the need for the RoHS 2.0 Directive.
Philips background Philips report PDF4.
HP is in 4th place as a result of its progress in bringing products that are free from PVC and BFRs onto the market and a new commitment to phase out beryllium and compounds by July 2011. HP also scores well for its support for improvements to the revised EU RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics).
HP background HP report PDF5.
Samsung is in 5th place as a result of its improvements in its score on chemicals. However, the company was penalized for backtracking on its commitment to eliminate brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in new models of all products by January 2010 and PVC vinyl plastic by end of 2010.
Samsung background Samsung report PDF6.
Motorola in in 6th place, the company scores relatively well on the chemicals criteria and has a goal to eliminate PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), though only in some mobile devices and not all its products introduced after 2010. the A45 ECO and the GRASP; all chargers are also free from PVC and BFRs. For more points Motorola needs to complete the phase out of BFRs in mobile phones and start working on the phase out of PVC and BFRs in its other products. It also fails to support the need for RoHS 2.0.
Motorola background Motorola report PDF6.
Panasonic stays in 6th place (together with Sony and Motorola), but has improved over last year due to gains in the voluntary take-back and the first take back of TVs in a non-OECD country. It is still weakest on the criteria relating to e-waste and recycling and scores best on the chemicals and energy criteria. Panasonic still has products containing PVC and only a few examples of products free of brominated flame retardants (BFRs). It also fails to show support for improvements to the revised EU RoHS Directive 2.0.
Panasonic background Panasonic report PDF6.
Sony stays in joint 6th place, (alongside Panasonic and Motorola). Sony has gained over last year for providing verification for its CSR report that also includes its calculations of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Sony does relatively well on chemicals with models on the market that are partially free of PVC and BFRs. It has yet to set a timeline for eliminating all phthalates, beryllium copper and antimony and its compounds. Nor has Sony show support for bans on PVC vinyl plastic and brominated compounds.
Sony background Sony report PDF7.
Apple does best on the toxic chemicals criteria. All Apple products are now free of PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Apple lobbies the EU for a ban on PVC, chlorinated flame retardants and CFRs and BFRs. However, the company has yet to make a public declaration related to organo- chlorine, bromine compounds, nor has it come out clearly in favor of immediate restrictions on PVC and BFRs. Apple provides insufficient disclosure of information on the flow of their supply chain as well as the future toxic chemical phase-out plans.
Apple background Apple report PDF8.
Dell increases maintains its 10th place position, gaining points on both the chemicals and the e-waste criteria. However, Dell backtracked on its commitment to eliminate PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in all its products by the end of 2009. Dell has been very good at proactive advocacy in its support for restrictions on PVC and BFRs in the revised EU RoHS Directive. In total it has 35 PVC/BFR reduced or PVC/BFR-free products. However, its current commitment to eliminate PVC and BFRs by the end of 2011 is limited to computing products.
Dell background Dell report PDF9. Although
Sharp kept the same score, it drops to 11th place from 9th due to strong competition. It has succeed in the verification of its CSR report which includes calculation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Sharp also scores relatively well for its policy and practice on toxic chemical issues, however there is a lack of clarity on whether the commitment to eliminate phthalates relates to all phthalates or just three. Sharp also fails to show support for improvements to the revised EU RoHS Directive. It continues to score poorly for Chemicals Management in part due to a lack of transparency and confusion about its stance on eliminating BFRs.
Sharp background Sharp report PDF10.
Acer scores most points for its efforts on toxic chemicals. It is proactively supporting improvements to the revised EU RoHS Directive. The company has meeting its goal of eliminating PVC and BFRs in all products. Although many Acer products do not contain BFRs and PVCs some still do. Acer plans to phase out PVC vinyl plastic and BFRs only for personal and mobile computing products by 2011 and not all products. The company is rewarded for its commitment to phase out all phthalates, beryllium and compounds and antimony and compounds in all new products by 2012.
Acer background Acer report PDF11.
Fujitsu moves up to 13th place from 15th, this increase is due the company's adoption of a target for reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 6 percent below levels by the end of 2012 and third party verification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Fujitsu scores highest on energy issues, it supports the need for GHG emissions to peak by 2015 and for industrialized countries to cut GHG emissions by up to 30 percent. All of its notebook and tablet PCs comply with the latest Energy Star standard. Fujitsu reports GHG emissions from its own operations for 2008, which have reduced from 2007. Although it has a new target to increase its use of renewable energy sources, figures for the use of renewable energy as a percentage were only provided for Europe, where at least 15 percent of purchased electricity was renewable in 2007.
Fujitsu background Fujitsu report PDF12.
LG Electronics continues to fall down the ranking, from 12th place to 14th, It backtracked on its commitment to have all its products free of PVC and BFRs by the end of 2010. LG's mobile phones were made free of these toxic substances as of 2010, The company has committed to eliminating the use of PVC, BFRs, phthalates and antimony everything else will wait until 2012, except household appliances which will come online in 2014. The use of beryllium oxide in mobile phones has already been phased out and other kinds of beryllium compounds will be banned by 2012. Except for one mobile phone, the company failed to bring a PVC/BFR free products onto the market. LGE has yet to show support for the RoHS Directive.
LGE background LGE report PDF13.
Lenovo rises up the ranking to 14th position from 17th, the company has backtracked on its commitment to eliminate PVC vinyl plastic and BFRs in all its products by the end of 2009. However, Lenovo has made significant progress on three of the energy criteria, Although as yet unverified, it now supports the need for global emissions of GHGs to peak by 2015, with a 30 percent reduction in emissions from industrialized countries by 2020 and a 50 percent reduction by 2050, relative to 1990. It has set its own targets for reducing GHG emissions and it also reports the percentage of its products that meeting or exceeding the latest Energy Star standards.
Lenovo background Lenovo report PDF14.
Toshiba from 14th place to 16th, due to its backtracking on its commitment to bring to market new models of all its consumer electronics products free of PVC vinyl plastic and BFRs. by 1 April 2010, its own timeline for meeting this commitment; the second for misleading its customers and Greenpeace by not admitting that it would not meet its public commitment until the timeline for that commitment had passed. It has failed to provide a new timeline, which means there is no longer a commitment to eliminate these harmful substances.
Toshiba background Toshiba report PDF15.
Microsoft drops to 17th place from 16th as a result of backtracking on its commitment to phase out BFRs and PVC by the end of 2010. Its timeline for phasing out BFRs and phthalates in all products is 2012 but its commitment to phasing out PVC is not clear. As yet it has no products that are completely free from PVC and BFRs. Commitments on the phase out of hazardous substances are not being clearly communicated to its suppliers in its Restricted Substances for Hardware specification. It also fails to show support for RoHS Directive.
Microsoft background Microsoft report PDF16.
Nintendo does well on chemicals, some of its consoles have PVC-free internal wiring. It has banned phthalates and is monitoring use of antimony and beryllium. Although it is endeavoring to eliminate the use of PVC, it has not set a timeline for its phase-out. Although Nintendo discloses the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of its own operations, it has increased carbon (CO2) emissions two years in a row despite a commitment to cut CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases by 2 percent over each previous year. Emissions in 2007 increased by 1.5 percent compared to 2006, following a rise of 6 percent in 2006.
Nintendo background Nintendo report PDFRelated PostGreenpeace's Best Green Electronics
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