Hi Everyone,

I thought that forum members might be interested in the following
article.  I offer it without comment, endorsement, criticism, etc. Just
thought I'd put it out there.
 
Regards,
David Suraski
AIM


U.S. tech firms trail the world in efforts to make industry greener

By Stephanie Gordon
EE Times
13 January 2003 (5:01 p.m. GMT) 

U.S. high tech companies are the worst globally for taking steps to
minimise the use of hazardous materials in electronic products and
encourage the use of greener materials and recycling, according to the
2002 Report Card from the Computer TakeBack Campaign (CTBC). 

According to the report, the U.S. is now behind other countries in
developing solutions to curb the use of hazardous components in computer
manufacturing. The report states that countries that already have
legislation in place such as the Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE) in Europe and the Appliance Recycling Law in Japan have
already gone some way in forcing manufacturers to reassess their
manufacturing processes and accept responsibility for products
throughout their lifecycle. 

The Report Card highlights the concern of how American manufacturing
companies continue to conduct their businesses. Some companies stand
accused of continuing to export e-waste from the U.S. to developing
countries. The report also notes that some companies are dealing in
double standards regarding the takeback of certain products by offering
different takeback services depending on local regulations. The report
also underlines that there is currently uneven progress in reducing lead
in computer products and efforts to replace brominated flame retardants
(BFRs) and PVC with less toxic alternatives have been insufficient. 

Of the 28 electronics manufacturers evaluated in the report, only
Fujitsu received a passing grade with a score of 35 (out of 68). The
report assessed companies in the areas of extended producer
responsibility (EPR), hazardous materials use, occupational health and
safety and ease of information access. At the bottom of the rankings, 16
companies including NEC, Gateway, Dell, Sharp and Philips failed the
test entirely. Three companies, Hitachi, Hewlett Packard/ Compaq and OKI
were given a 'poor' score and the report noted that those companies had
taken steps in the removal of lead from products. 

Eight companies including Canon, IBM, Apple and Sony 'needed
improvement' and the report gave extra credit to Apple for describing
how its machines were disassembled for recycling and Sony was recognised
for describing its recycling policies. 

The top three ranking companies were Fujitsu which the report said
"leads the computer industry in both environmental innovation and public
disclosure", Canon for mapping a future with less toxic products and IBM
for setting goals and deadlines to eliminate lead in its products. 

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