Greenpeace's Green Guide, released on the 27th of this month, claims that Nokia and Sony Ericsson manufacture many of the world's most environmentally friendly electronic products, while Nintendo and Toshiba are among the least environmentally friendly companies.
In its quarterly report, Greenpeace assessed 18 major electronics manufacturers, evaluating their progress in environmental protection efforts, including (1) reducing the use of hazardous substances, (2) recycling electronic waste, and (3) improving energy efficiency. Greenpeace used the elimination of two toxic chemicals as indicators: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BRFs), because these substances cannot dissipate in the environment and accumulate in the human body.
Iza Kruszewska, a researcher at Greenpeace, released the report in Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics district, stating that Nintendo ranked last. She added that among the many major electronics manufacturers, Nintendo was "the only company that did not engage in dialogue with Greenpeace."
Kruska said Toshiba dropped from third place in the Guide to Greener Electronics rankings last December to 14th. She said the reason Toshiba was penalized was for "failing to keep its promise to achieve zero PVC and BFRs on all consumer electronics by April 1st of this year."
Nokia and Sony Ericsson took first and second place, respectively. Philips rose from fourth place in December to third, Motorola climbed from eighth to fourth, and Apple remained in fifth.
Nokia and Sony Ericsson took first and second place, respectively. Philips rose from fourth place in December to third, Motorola climbed from eighth to fourth, and Apple remained in fifth.
South Korean companies LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics slipped from 6th and 9th place to 12th and 13th respectively.
Microsoft is third from the bottom, and Lenovo is second from the bottom.
—Reference sources: Yahoo News, Greenpeace International. For detailed rankings, please download the attached file: Ranking tables MAY 2010-All.pdf
