Electronics Production |
Philips steps up on Greenpeace list
The latest edition of the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics exposes the widening gap between companies that make good on their promises to clean up, and those that don't.
While some of the top electronics manufacturers are failing to keep their environmental commitments, others are innovating and making significant gains in phasing out toxic chemicals, increasing energy efficiency, and making it easier for consumers to recycle old products, the environmental group states.
Philips has released the first TV free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). The Econova TV puts Philips on track to meet its commitment to phase out these hazardous substances by the end the year, well ahead of other TV manufacturers.
There is a growing gulf between companies that are consistently innovating by releasing greener products and companies that just make big promises and excuses. As they say in the software business: you've either shipped or you haven't. By launching a PVC- and BFR-free TV, Philips has overcome the technical hurdles to removing these toxic substances from this product group. There is now no excuse for other TV manufacturers not to follow, Greenpeace states.
Toshiba is served a second penalty point this year, a first penalty point is imposed on Microsoft for backtracking on commitments to remove these toxic substances. Several other companies continue to be weighed down by penalty points for failing to meet their phase out commitments, including LGE, Samsung, Dell and Lenovo.
Apple takes the biggest drop, not because it has lost any points but because several other companies have overtaken it. LGE and Toshiba, both previously amongst the leaders, now take 14th and 16th place, showing that in this fast moving sector that standing still is just not good enough.
There is a growing gulf between companies that are consistently innovating by releasing greener products and companies that just make big promises and excuses. As they say in the software business: you've either shipped or you haven't. By launching a PVC- and BFR-free TV, Philips has overcome the technical hurdles to removing these toxic substances from this product group. There is now no excuse for other TV manufacturers not to follow, Greenpeace states.
Toshiba is served a second penalty point this year, a first penalty point is imposed on Microsoft for backtracking on commitments to remove these toxic substances. Several other companies continue to be weighed down by penalty points for failing to meet their phase out commitments, including LGE, Samsung, Dell and Lenovo.
Apple takes the biggest drop, not because it has lost any points but because several other companies have overtaken it. LGE and Toshiba, both previously amongst the leaders, now take 14th and 16th place, showing that in this fast moving sector that standing still is just not good enough.
