Electronic giants failing to go green

The poor performance of these companies is in contrast to their competitors like Apple and HP who are making real progress by offering their customers a range of greener electronics. The latest Guide was launched at a press conference in Japan today, as former frontrunners, Toshiba drop from 3rd to 14th position and Samsung from 7th to 13th with their new penalty points for failing to meet their commitment to phase out PVC and BFRs from their supply chain. “These industry giants cannot claim to be green until they follow through on their commitments to eliminate substances from their products that are harmful to the environment and public health,” said Greenpeace International Toxics Campaigner, Iza Kruszewska. “Companies that are still using PVC and BFRs in their products need to follow the lead of Apple, HP and Indian brands HCL and Wipro who are phasing out these toxic chemicals.” On the upside, the Guide also showcases environmental leadership within the electronics industry by an alliance of companies, for going one step beyond elimination of hazardous chemicals to using their considerable influence to advocate for legislation to eliminate the future use of these toxic chemicals. “It’s encouraging to see several companies grasping the urgent need for legislation that would enable the complete removal of these substances, and are pushing for it,” said Greenpeace International Toxics Campaigner Iza Kruszewska. The climbers in this edition of the Guide are Panasonic at 6th place up from 10th, Sony up from 7th to 6th (tied with Panasonic), HP up from 11th to 8th and Sharp from 13th to 9th. LGE falls from 6th to 12th position, losing points for poor reporting on the energy efficiency of its products. LGE’s reporting of its latest Energy Star standards has been disregarded by Greenpeace as the company was criticised by regulatory authorities for twice manipulating these efficiency standards to its benefit. “By committing to phase out timelines and acting on them some companies have made progress towards a greener future for electronics. Now all companies need to make this an industry wide reality by keeping their word and delivering PVC and BFR free products to the markets en masse and on time” said Iza Kruszewska.