From energy efficiency to toxics used in manufacturing to end-of-life issues,
the road to truly green electronics faces a steep climb. Although most companies
are taking these issues very seriously, it will surely be a slow process.
Every three months, the international environmental group Greenpeace rates
these companies on how well they're doing -- and raises the bar a little higher.
In this, the tenth quarterly Guide to Greener Electronics, Greenpeace calls on
manufacturers to up their company-wide commitments to steep and rapid cuts in
overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Nokia maintains its top score in the ranking, earning 6.9 points out of 10
possible for its takeback program and reducing the use of toxic chemicals like
PVC, brominated flame retardants and antimony trioxide.
Rounding out the top four is a three-way tie between Sony Ericsson, Toshiba
and Samsung, all with 5.9 points. Sony earned high marks for its new
environmental warranty for responsible takeback, Toshiba gains ground with its
reporting of and goals toward renewable energy use and emissions reductions, and
Samsung earned praise for reducing toxic chemical use and building
energy-efficient products.
Richland, Wash-- If
you have an old
T.V. or computer to get rid of think, before you put it in
your garbage. It's not illegal for households to put electronics in their trash,
but it could be dangerous for ground water around landfills.
All
businesses are required to E-Cycle their electronics.
If you take your
electronics to the Richland Landfill they will dispose them for free.
They
have already shipped six truck loads so far.
BRISTOL, Va. - There's a flip side to that newfangled cell phone found under
the Christmas tree. Sooner or later, the outdated cell phones clogging the
kitchen drawer have to go.
However, when they do go, don't forget that those electronic beeps and
whistles are powered by mercury, cadmium, lead and other toxic metals destined
to seep into, and out of, a landfill. And toxic metals, such as mercury, can
cause brain and kidney damage, as well as cancer, when released into the ground
and air, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality reports.
So, instead of dumping outdated gadgets and gizmos into the trash can,
environmental and industry leaders recommend recycling, which, in the case of
electronics, is known as e-cycling.
For nearly six years, Bristol Virginia Public Works has picked up laptops,
monitors and even fluorescent light tubes left in marked boxes by the curb. As
part of a statewide e-cycling effort, the technology is carted off during
regular pickups.
If you got a brand new TV this holiday season, you might wonder what to do with your old one. Putting old electronics out with the trash can be bad for the environment, says Enterprise Sanitation owner Mark Deprospero. The batteries and tubing in the equipment can contaminate the ground, he says.
If you've been waiting forever to unload that old TV or
computer, Jan. 1 is your lucky day. A new state law requires electronics
manufacturers to start safely recycling four of the most-discarded items, with
no charge to consumers.
Washington's law is the first in the nation to require electronics producers
to pay for the whole process.
But, please, don't everyone haul your used computers,
monitors, laptops and TVs to the recycling center the first week of January,
industry and government officials are pleading. They fear a glut of electronic
waste clogging the system just as it gets off the ground.
Consumer electronics-including TVs, computers, peripherals,
audio equipment, and phones-make up almost 2 percent of the municipal solid
waste stream, according to the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
. This percentage may seem
small and inconsequential, but the quantity of electronic waste is steadily
rising.
In fact, the
EPA
estimates that the number of obsolete consumer electronics
sold between 1980 and 2007 is 235 million; a total weight of 2.25 million tons.
Where are these 235 million units now? Eighteen percent of these products were
collected for recycling; the rest are, unfortunately, sitting in landfills.
Toxins (lead, mercury, flame retardants, and the like) from these electronics
can seep into the soil and ground water, posing serious health and
environmental
risks.
FRONTLINE/World presents a global investigation into the dirty secret of the digital age-the dumping of hundreds of millions of pounds of electronic waste around the world each year. Airs Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 8pm central on PBS.