The Sony Ericsson T650i mobile phone and P1i PDA have come out on top in Greenpeace's latest "Searching for Greener Electronics" survey. But, there is still much to do for a really green electronic product as each of the products scored just over half of the possible 100 points available to win.
Greenpeace’s ‘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 ranking criteria reflect the demands of the Toxic Tech campaign to the electronics companies. Greenpeace says that companies should clean up their products by eliminating hazardous substances;
takeback and recycle their products responsibly once they become obsolete. It points out that the two issues are connected. The use of harmful chemicals in electronics prevents their safe recycling when the products are discarded.
The guide does not rank companies on labour standards, energy use or any other issues, but recognises that these are important in the production and use of electronics products.
"Since undertaking the survey we have already witnessed the arrival of greener products in the market, such as the Apple's new laptop, the MacBook Air, and Nokia's new phone, the Evolve" said Yannick Vicaire Greenpeace International Toxics Campaigner. "Manufacturers still have a long way to go, but more and more are now taking the environmental impacts of their products seriously."
Greenpeace is challenging electronics manufacturers to take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products - from production, through manufacture and to the very end of their products' lives - and to clean up their products by eliminating hazardous substances and replacing harmful ingredients through safer alternatives or design changes while producing energy efficient products.
"Manufacturers need to embrace a truly comprehensive approach. Consumers should not have to choose between a toxic free product or an, energy-efficient one. They should not need to ask if being recyclable is better than being durable. When a product offers all those standards and is marketed with consumer-friendly services expanding the lifespan as much as possible, then we can say there is a true green product on the market.
Sony Ericsson Top Of The List
Taking the lead in the report is Sony Ericsson who by improving on its reporting of quantities of old mobile phones being recycled moves up from 2nd place. It now provides estimates of the amount of mobile phones recycled as a percentage of current (not past) sales: 2 - 13% based on sales volume and 1 - 5% based on the number of subscribers.
The company states its strong support for the precautionary principle and Individual Producer Responsibility. It plans to have eliminated brominated flame retardants in two remaining applications and for substituting phthalates, beryllium and some uses of antimony compounds by January 2008.
All new Sony Ericsson models of mobile phones put on the market since 2006 are free from PVC plastic. However, Sony Ericsson has lost points on grounds of the information it provides to customers about how to recycle obsolete phones – conclusions reached by Greenpeace assessing Sony Ericsson’s global takeback programme. Enquiries by Greenpeace to local Sony Ericsson representatives revealed that no takeback service is offered in Thailand, Russia, Argentina and India. However Sony Ericsson is ahead of many companies in already setting timelines to eliminate substances that others have only identified for future action.
Samsung Improves
Samsung has moved up from 8th position to 2nd as a result of introducing products free of the most harmful chemicals; all new models of LCD panels are now free from PVC plastic and all new models of mobile phones have circuit boards that are largely free of brominated flame retardants (BFRs), together with the housing and peripherals. The company scores top marks on all the other chemicals criteria.
Samsung has also improved its reporting on the recycling of obsolete products and supplies good information to consumers on what to do with discarded products – at least for those products for which Samsung offers a takeback service. On the down side, it loses points for providing voluntary takeback of electronic waste in only a few countries and for only some groups of products.
Since 1st November 2007, all new models of LCD panels are PVC- free and the first totally PVC-free mobile phones to be launched in April 2008. It scored full marks for providing a timeline of 2010 for phasing out PVC. The timeline for phasing out BFRs in all new models is January 2010.
However Samsung provides voluntary takeback only in a few countries and only for some product groups. Samsung estimates that in 2006 its recycling rate as a percentage of current sales was 3.2%.
Knocking Nokia
Nokia loses its top position, falling down to 9th position. This is due to the penalty point for corporate misbehaviour on its takeback and recycling practice. Testing of Nokia’s takeback programme by Greenpeace revealed confusing web information and Nokia staff who are not informed about the takeback in the Philippines, Thailand, Argentina, Russia and India. In Thailand, Russia and Argentina, information on Nokia’s takeback service is not available in the local language. Also, Nokia scores badly for poor reporting on the quantities of discarded mobiles that it recycles as a percentage of past sales.
It does provide a figure of 2% for mobiles recycled, but it unclear if this is as a percentage of all Nokia sales, or all brands of mobiles returned – and over which period.
On the chemicals criteria, Nokia does much better, having already eliminated PVC from new models of mobiles. It is now eliminating brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from remaining applications in new flexible circuits. Nokia gets top marks for its support for Individual Producer Responsibility. Every company should assume responsibility for the electronic waste arising from its own-brand discarded products).
Apple has in the past been the target of a specic campaign by Greenpeace for not being as fresh and green as the image of Apple would suggest: www.greenmyapple.org
Having now posted new information that all new iMacs and many of the iPods are now sold with bromine free casings and printed circuit board laminates as well as PVC-free internal cables the company moves up one place to 11th position on the list.
The company has committed to eliminate all uses of PVC and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in its products by the end of 2008. Apple also provides examples of additional substances that it plans to eliminate (with timelines), such as arsenic in LCDs and mercury as well as providing “Material Safety Data Sheets†for all of its products. But Greenpeace says that Apple still needs to provide a strong commitment to the precautionary principle and to Individual Producer Responsibility, post its Restricted/Banned Substance list on the web and improve coverage of its takeback programmes.
Free Fall Motorola
Bottom of the list of phone manufacturers tested was Motorola. Motorola is in free fall, down from 9th place to 14th position. This is due to the penalty point for corporate misbehaviour regarding its takeback and recycling practice. Testing of Motorola’s takeback programme by Greenpeace revealed that Motorola staff are poorly informed about this service in the Philippines, Thailand, and India. No takeback service is available in Russia. Although the company offers its customers an increasing number of models of mobile phones whose circuit boards are free from brominated flame retardants (BFRs), their product portfolio includes home network equipment (e.g. set-top boxes, wireless routers) and network equipment (e.g. base stations), as well as walkie-talkies.
Motorola now provides voluntary takeback/recycling services in 57 countries, accounting for more than 90 per cent of global mobile phone sales. The scored top marks to Motorola for reporting its recycling rate of 3.32 per cent in 2006, as a percentage of sales 12-24 months before – the average lifespan of a mobile phone.
Energy Saving Messaging Awards
This year for the first time the 160Characters Messaging Awards include an Energy Saving category. This could be through a more efficient network, a phone handset that uses less energy, or even a campaign that used mobile messaging effectively to reduce energy in the community. Entries are open until 11th April. Details here: 2008 Awards
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The Sony Ericsson T650i mobile phone and P1i PDA have come out on top in Greenpeace's latest "Searching for Greener Electronics" survey. But, there is still much to do for a really green electronic product as each of the products scored just over half of the possible 100 points available to win.
