The Greenest Electronics Companies

About Greenpeace’s survey ranking green electronics. But if your device wasn’t one of those tested, how can you tell if it’s green?

In October, Greenpeace released a survey that ranked electronic companies as a whole, rather than specific products.

As shown by the graphic above, the top 10 companies surveyed were:

  1. Nokia
  2. Sony Ericsson
  3. Philips
  4. HP
  5. Samsung
  6. Motorola
  7. Panasonic
  8. Sony
  9. Apple
  10. Dell

In the Greenpeace rankings, Nokia has consistently scored well; in 2010 it scored 7.5/10. All of its new models have been PVC-free since the end of 2005, and all new models of mobile phones and accessories launched in 2010 were on track to be free of brominated compounds, chlorinated flame retardants, and antimony trioxide. Nokia also scored points for its voluntary take back program, spanning 85 countries and providing over 5,000 collection points. However, Nokia can stand to improve, especially by using recycled electronics in more than just packaging. For energy, all of its mobile chargers except for one scored between 30 and 90 percent above the Energy Star requirements.

Sony Ericsson came in second place with a score of 6.9/10. Its products are all free of PVC and BFRs, with the exception of a few components that are in the process of being phased out. It also banned antimony, beryllium, and phthalates from new models launched since January 2008, and is lobbying the EU for a revision of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics. It was weak on recycling issues though, scoring nothing on the use of recycled plastic. All of its products meet and exceed the Energy Star standard.

Philips gained points for developing an LED television that is free of PVCs and BFRs, but needs to improve its use of recycled practice. It was also one of the top energy scorers. HP was next, increasing its score by putting more PVC and BFR free products on the market. Samsung scores well on e-waste, recycling many of its products, but needs to expand its investment in renewable energy. Motorola, Panasonic, and Sony scored relatively well in most sections, but have a lot of room for improvement. Apple scored well in the chemical portion, but poorly in the energy portion. Dell needs to phase out PVCs, BFRs, and other chemicals, but had a decent score in the energy portion.

So to stay All Green, take the results of the survey into consideration when buying electronics and remember to recycle responsibly.

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