Greenpeace recently released its first “Guide to Greener Electronics” of 2010. The pocket-sized, printable guide comes out every few months and shows consumers how their favorite companies stack up to competitors in terms of sustainability.
This is the 14th version of the guide, which was first released in August 2006. The guide ranks the top 18 manufacturers of computers, TVs, cell phones and game consoles according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change. Greenpeace specifically looks at how companies deal with chemicals and electronic waste and how they consume energy. As a part of its Toxic Tech campaign, Greenpeace calls on companies to do the following in order to improve their ranking:
• Clean up their products by eliminating hazardous substances.
• Take back and recycle their products responsibly once they become obsolete.
• Reduce the climate impacts of their operations and products.
Here’s a look at the top 10 greenest electronic companies:
1. Nokia
3. Toshiba
4. Philips
5. Apple
7. Sony
8. Motorola
9. Samsung
10. Panasonic
Some of the guide’s top finishers were awarded points for banning toxic substances and using energy efficiently. Apple, in particular, has gained attention for its high-profiled efforts to go green. Apple recently released the iPad, which is free of arsenic, BFR (brominated flame retardant), mercury, PVC and is recyclable. The company also recently applied for three patents that would improve the energy-efficiency of its products by using solar power and saving energy with smarter chargers. Apple is now ranked 5th on the guide, jumping up six spots since July 2009.
