Toshiba and Samsung have avoided being named and shamed this year by taking out the top Greenpeace gongs for being among the world’s most environment friendly consumer electronics companies. The shame gong went to gaming market leader Nintendo.
The Greenpeace name and shame list is part of Their Greener Electronics programed aimed at encouraging the electronics industry to face up to the problem of electronic waste.
The Guide ranks leading companies in the mobile phone, computer, TV and games console markets according to policies and practices on toxic chemicals and recycling.
Greenpeace said that Nokia would have claimed the top spot if it had not been penalised for its “inconsistent” recycling programme.
The organisation found that Nokia staff in the Philippines, Thailand, Argentina, Russia and India were insufficiently informed about the company’s recycling policy.
Nintendo, meanwhile, failed to make any headway on previous editions of the Guide, with no public policy on toxics elimination or recycling, unlike the other 17 companies in the rankings.
“We want to see an end to the stories of unprotected child labourers scavenging mountains of cast-off gadgets created by society’s gizmo-loving ways, ” Greenpeace said in a statement.
The global information and communication technology industry is estimated to be responsible for approximately two per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions, a figure equivalent to aviation, according to Greenpeace.
