Lenovo tops Greenpeace's electronics ranking

By Colleen Taylor, Contributing Editor -- Electronic News, 4/5/2007

Despite China's sullied reputation for environmental regulations, China-based PC maker Lenovo has snagged the top spot on the latest edition of the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, which ranks companies on their policies regarding chemicals and waste.

Lenovo, which bought IBM's consumer electronics division in 2005, scored top marks on its e-waste policies and practice; the company offers take-back and recycling in all the countries where its products are sold, Greenpeace said. Lenovo also reports the amount of e-waste it recycles as a percentage of its sales. Lenovo's ranking takes Nokia from the lead it had maintained since the guide was launched in September.

Greenpeace's activists did still have some criticism for the company; Lenovo has yet to put on the market products that are free of what Greenpeace called "the worst chemicals."

According to the activist group, competitive pressure, ongoing dialogue with Greenpeace campaigners and consumer expectations have driven an improvement in companies' scores since the December 2006 edition of the Guide, with nine out of 14 companies now scoring more than five points out of 10.

Other companies in the top five include Nokia in second place, Sony Ericsson in third place, Dell in fourth place and Samsung in fifth place.

Sony and LG Electronics receive penalty points for "operating double standards" on their e-waste take-back policies across the world, losing their places in the top five, Greenpeace said.

"Given the growing mountains of e-waste in China - both imported and domestically generated - it is heartening to see a Chinese company taking the lead, and assuming responsibility at least for its own branded waste," Iza Kruszewska, Greenpeace international toxics campaigner, said in a statement. "The challenge for the industry now is to see who will actually place greener products on the market."