*NEWS*LARGEST ELECTRONICS TOXIC POLLUTERS

[Anonymous]

Here
is how the largest electronics companies rank on the toxic chemicals in
their products. Removing toxic chemicals from products reduces
pollution and makes reuse and recycling less hazardous and cheaper.
Companies
at the top of the class are removing additional hazardous substances
than required by EU law on Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS)
that comes into force in July 2006. Those at the bottom have made no
commitment to remove additional hazardous substances other than the
minimum required by law.
This listing is based only on global policy on toxic chemicals in products.

First in Class:
Sony –
Committed to reduce, substitute and eliminate, wherever possible, the
use of substances that are potentially hazardous to the environment.

Nokia
– Nokia is the world’s largest producer of mobile phones. Nokia has
pursued an active environmental policy since 1994. Nokia works with a
list of substances that have already been banned or will be banned. At
the end of 2006, all brominated flame retardants will be eliminated
from printed circuit boards in new models. All new models of Nokia
phones are now PVC free.
Hewlett Packard 
– Has committed to substituting materials when there are concerns due
to their potential effects on people and the environment. By the end of
2006, all brominated flame retartdants (BFRs) will be eliminated from
the external case parts of all new HP products. HP has set itself a
goal for 2007 to eliminate the remaining uses of BFRs and PVC as
acceptable alternatives are identified. HP is working on a pan-industry
solution to BFR alternatives in circuit boards, by working through
consortia, such as iNEMI (International Electronics Manufacturing
Initiative) which is likely to drive change throughout the whole sector.
Dell  – Dell
has committed to apply precautionary measures to avoid the use of
“substances of concern”, which include substances that are persistent
and bioaccumulative. To demonstrate this commitment, Dell already bans
the use of PVC and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in all plastic
mechanical parts, like casings, of new products. Dell has committed to
eliminate all remaining uses of BFRs and PVC by 2009 in new products,
as acceptable alternatives are identified that will not compromise
product performance and will lower product health and environmental
impacts.
Sony Ericsson –
All new models of Sony Ericsson mobile phones are now totally BFR-free.
The company is shortly expected to announce a phase-out date for PVC.
Samsung
– Samsung is fully committed to phasing out hazardous chemicals, and is
currently working on a phase out programme which sets dates for a ban
on PVC, organotins and brominated flame retardants. Despite a long
delay, Samsung is shortly to announce timelines for the phase out of
BFRs and PVC.
LG – All LGE products will be PVC free by the end of
2008. LGE committed to providing Greenpeace with a substitution plan
and phase out date for all brominated flame retardants by the end of
2005. Disappointingly, LGE has now told us that they will be unable to
present a substitution plan and timeline for phasing out all BFRs in
their products anytime soon.
The bad guys:
Acer
Apple
Fujitsu-Siemens
IBM
Lenovo
Motorola  –
Motorola had previously committed but in May 2006 it  reneged on its
phase out commitment. The company has now told us that they are unable
to meet their commitment to phase out brominated flame retardants by
mid-2007 and that they cannot give us a phase-out date for eliminating
PVC. They claim that this is due to the need to focus their activities
on complying with the EU RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in
electronic products) Directive globally. The EU RoHS Directive was
agreed in 2002! So, Motorola was well aware of the requirements of this
Directive when they made a commitment to Greenpeace to also phase out
PVC and BFRs.
Panasonic
Siemens
Toshiba 

[Author]

July 28, 2006 at 11:17 AM