Greenpeace ‘trash talks’ Philips
Greenpeace claims Philips is one of the consumer-electronics industry's worst e-waste offenders.
By Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- EDN, March 7, 2008
Greenpeace has turned its attention away from Apple and toward Philips.
The environmental organization in a recent report entitled "Toxic tech: Not in our backyard" points to the consumer electronics giant as one of the industry’s worst e-waste offenders. Greenpeace claimed that while most companies accept responsibility for recycling their own products and are improving their recycling programs for consumers, several TV companies are dragging their feet on recycling with the majority offering no recycling for old TVs in many countries.
“Of the TV companies, Phillips stands out by publicly stating that recycling is the responsibility for the customer and government and consumers should pay for recycling, not the product makers. Behind the scenes Phillips lobbies to avert legislation to make companies more responsible for recycling their own products,” Greenpeace said. “Basically Phillips is helping ensure the status quo remains, that has lead to such a large e-waste problem. We have delivered this report direct to Phillips and other companies to show how they need to stop hiding from the problem of e-waste.”
Philips could not be reached by Electronic News for immediate comment.
According to Greenpeace, e-waste – discarded electronics such as computers, cell phones, and TV – is the fastest growing type of waste in many countries, as low prices allow consumers to replace electronics, rather than fixing them, and contribute to a “throw-away culture” in many developed countries.
The US-based organization noted that in the European Union (EU) – despite its WEEE and ROHS environmental regulations -- 75% of e-waste is unaccounted for. Of the estimated 8.7 million tons of e-waste created annually in the EU, a massive 6.6 million tons of e-waste is not recycled, according to Greenpeace data.
In the US, less than 20% of e-waste is recovered for recycling, the group said, adding that the recycling percentages for PCs and TVs are even lower at 10% and 14%, respectively.
Greenpeace accounted for e-waste that is not recycled by pointing to home storage of old electronics, which delays discard and reduces the chance of effective reuse; landfill dumping or incineration, which both allow hazardous chemicals to leak into the air and ground; and exportation of electronics like computers and cell phones to developing countries for reuse and later recycling, which the group said often ends in e-waste scrap yards causing widespread pollution.
In its report, Greenpeace continued to call on electronics companies to shoulder the e-waster burden, encouraging them to eliminate toxic chemicals from their products and improve their recycling programs. The organization made note of Nokia, as the world’s top cell phone maker, shipping more than one billion cell phones in 2006, but recycling 2% of the phones it sells. The group also pointed to major computer makers, which it claimed on average recycle 9% of PCs.
“To address the rising tide of e-waste all manufactures must offer free and convenient recycling of their products to all their customers. Where companies are unwilling to do this, tough legislation is needed to ensure electronics are safely recycled. Japan has effective recycling legislation and Sony reports that it collects 53 percent of its old products in Japan. That's five times better than the global average for major PC makers and shows that solutions are already available,” Greenpeace said.
Greenpeace, which has put much of its focus on the Apple iPhone as of late, has also made efforts to compliment electronics makers that practice what it considers favorable e-waste policies. Lenovo, Dell, and Samsung are among the companies Greenpeace has previously praised.
