PC makers are failing the environment, says Greenpeace

Campaign group criticises leading manufacturers HP, Dell and Lenovo for not cutting down on toxic components – but praises Apple, Nokia and Acer
Bobbie Johnson, guardian.co.uk 1 Apr 09;

Greenpeace has accused three of the world's biggest PC manufacturers of failing to live up to their promises to make more environmentally friendly computers.

Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Lenovo have all been singled out in a report from the environmental campaign group, which claims they have failed to deliver new machines that do not depend so heavily on toxic chemicals.

"HP, Lenovo and Dell had promised to eliminate vinyl plastic (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from their products by the end of 2009. Now they've told us that they won't make it this year," Greenpeace said in its latest Guide to Greener Electronics report.

"The phase-out of toxic substances is an urgent priority to help tackle the growing tide of e-waste. Still, producers only go green when they feel public and consumer pressure to do so," it continued.

Indeed, computer companies are facing a different kind of pressure thanks to the recession – which analysts say has caused the biggest slump for the industry in its history.

Despite such a slowdown, however, hundreds of millions of PCs are still sold every year. In the last quarter alone, the three companies singled out by Greenpeace sold more than 30m computers around the world.

Given such high sales volumes, the use of toxic components can have a devastating environmental impact – particularly in west African countries that accept vast amounts of electronic waste from Europe and the US, in contradiction with international regulations.

As a result of the west's decision to export e-waste, cities such as Lagos, Nigeria, and Accra, Ghana, play home to huge toxic dumps full of discarded computers and electronic devices, where scavengers – often children – attempt to extract the metals in order to resell them.

Since 2006, Greenpeace has monitored companies' promises to reduce the number of toxic components and has noted a gradual improvement from many electronics manufacturers.

The Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia currently leads in Greenpeace's rankings, after keeping up with plans to reduce its CO2 emissions. The Japanese videogames company Nintendo remains bottom of the rankings for its approach to e-waste and a lack of transparency.

The PC makers lost position after pushing back plans to introduce greener products. Lenovo said its line of eco-friendly laptops would be delayed until 2010, while HP and Dell – the world's two largest computer makers – have put similar schemes on indefinite hold.

Some brands, however – including Apple and the Taiwanese manufacturer Acer – have made significant progress in reducing their long-term impact on the environment. This, said Greenpeace, should stand as an example to others.

"If Apple can find the solutions, there should be no reason why other leading PC companies can't," said Iza Kurszewska, who leads the organisation's campaign against toxics. "All of them should have at least one toxic-free line of products on the market by the end of this year."

Presented with Greenpeace's concerns, a spokeswoman for Hewlett-Packard did not directly address the accusations. Instead, she said that "the Greenpeace report confirms that the electronics industry as a whole continues to make progress".

"For decades, HP has adopted practices in product development, operations and supply chain that are transparent and help reduce its environmental impact," she said, adding that the company would "continue its efforts".

Dell and Lenovo did not respond to requests for comment.