Environmental responsibility is certainly a big task, and a single company cannot possibly save the world, but this does not mean that individual actions do not go unnoticed. Greenpeace just released the 14th Edition of the Guide to Greener Electronics and they are delivering high praise for Nokia and Sony Ericsson.
Nokia currently earns the top spot for the most environment friendly electronics companies with Sony Ericsson not far behind it. The two companies’ individual drives to lessen their carbon emissions and removal of hazardous substances from their products has shown that it is possible for a company to be bother successful and green.
With recent improvements in technology, there are now plenty of safer alternatives to old materials and the ability to reuse and recycle has also risen significantly. It has been pointed out that Nokia and Sony Ericsson have done more than enforce strong internal procedures, they have also been actively pushing for other EU institutions to cease using vinyl plastic or PVCs.
Sony Ericsson is taking it eco-friendly campaign to a whole new level with its Greenheart standard and series of mobile devices. Any product from Sony with the Greenheart label will be made with non-toxic chemicals, recycled plastic and will see minimal use of paper products for packaging. The company has announced that it intends to have all its phone accessories compliant with eco-friendly standards soon.
On the other end of the spectrum, Samsung has been so busy with developing new technologies (such as its new Bada platform), that its eco-rating has plummeted since 2008. It is unlikely that the company would meet its promised reduction on the use of brominated flame retardants by the end of this year.
Not included in the list, but should be mentioned are mobile operators. Orange UK in particular has been running a very successful recycling program for electronic devices.
Tags: Greener-Electronics