Greenpeace Rates Electronics Firms on Lobbying

by | Jan 7, 2010

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gp guideThe latest Guide to Greener Electronics from Greenpeace now rates companies on whether they lobby for industrywide rules that would prevent use of environmentally damaging materials.

Greenpeace wants companies to support policies like the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electronics, which would ban use of brominated flame retardants, chlorinated flame retardants and PVC in electronics. Greenpeace lists its rationale for banning these chemicals here.

“Companies need to support legislative bans to ensure a consistent phase out of PVC and BFRs across all electronic products,” said Casey Harrell, Greenpeace International toxics campaigner. “Sony Ericsson and Apple are already calling on EU institutions to support such a ban. Other big players, such as HP and Dell – who have so far been silent – and Acer, need to ensure the ban is passed in the European Union parliament.”

The latest electronics rating, which was released at the CES 2010 show in Las Vegas (see product roundup here), puts Nokia and Sony Ericsson at the top.

Samsung, Dell, Lenovo and LGE were penalized in the rating for failure to follow through on pledges to phase out toxic chemicals in their products. Instead of phasing chemicals out by the end of 2009, as they had promised, they are delaying the phaseout to 2011 or later, according to Greenpeace.

“Apple is leading and HP is playing catch up, but the lack of action from other companies is ensuring that customers and the environment are still losing out,” Harrell said.

Greenpeace previously has railed on electronics companies for failing to exemplify leadership on the climate.

Read about previous versions of the Guide to Greener Electronics here, here and here.

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