The latest survey from Greenpeace shows the Samsung GT-S75550 is the greenest mobile phone. The Sony Ericcson Aspen smartphone is the greenest smart phone.
Eighteen out of twenty-one invited companies took place in the third Green electronics Survey. Greenpeace rates the devices manufactured by these leading electronics companies on three main factors – toxic chemicals usage, extended manufacturer responsibility and increase of energy efficiency. The main aim of the survey is to encourage manufacturers of consumer electronic items to stop making products that rely on hazardous chemicals like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), as well as other poisonous compounds.
Mobile phone recycling is an important factor of the manufacturer’s responsibility. One of the biggest areas for improvement in the survey was found to be in using more recycled materials and implementing successful takeback programmes by provide businesses and consumers with responsible avenues of recycling.
However, Greenpeace’s Renee Blanchard says that improvement has been made over time. For example, all of the phones surveyed are now PVC-free, compared to 80% in 2008. Blanchard says: “Progress needs to be made in increasing the amount of recycled materials in the products, but that will be easier once companies stop using highly toxic materials,”.