January 7-10 blog from Greenpeace's 
Hewlett-Packard, whom Greenpeace recently targeted for failing to meet their deadline for phasing out toxics in their products, deserves credit for the HP Compaq 8000f Elite Ultra Slim Desktop PC, the industry’s first Microsoft Windows based desktop to be free of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) “from the wall to the mouse.” It’s so green that I might even pick one up the next time I need a new desktop.
The “Greenwasher of the Day” belongs to Samsung, which drops down in our new ranking from 2nd place to joint 7th (tied with Sony and Motorola), as a result of a penalty point imposed for backtracking on its commitment to eliminate brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in new models of all products by January 2010 and PVC by end of 2010. Its new timeline for removing BFRs and PVC in new models of notebooks is 1 January 2011 but there is now no timeline for removing these substances in TVs and household appliances. It also loses points for failing to show support for improvements to the revised EU RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronics); specifically, a methodology for further restrictions of hazardous substances, and an immediate ban on BFRs, chlorinated flame retardants (CFRs) and PVC vinyl plastic.
Since November 2007, all new models of LCD panels are PVC-free, important in driving the market to phase out PVC, with Samsung being the number one supplier globally. It states that all new models of mobile phones were free of BFRs by 1 January 2009 and free of PVC by 1 July 2009, and it has developed halogen-free memory chips and semiconductors for certain applications. It has also committed to eliminate phthalates and beryllium and compounds by the end of 2012 from all its products, not just from PCs, TVs and mobile phones.
Samsung scores well on e-waste; it reports recycling rates of 137 percent for TVs (based on past sales 10 years ago - the average life span - since when, Samsung’s TV sales have increased tenfold), 12 percent for PCs (based on a 7-year lifespan) and 9 percent for mobile phones (based on a 2-year lifespan). However, to score top marks Samsung needs to put a reality check on the EU figures of e-waste recycled. It also needs to extend its take-back programme to non-OECD countries. It scores top marks for using 16.1 percent recycled plastic, (though only 0.2 percent is post-consumer), with a goal to increase to 25 percent by 2025 and use a majority of post-consumer plastic.
On energy, Samsung has committed to reduce its absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, despite growth in the company’s sales; it also supports the levels of cuts required globally and by industrialised countries to keep dangerous climate change in check, and its provides a certificate of verification of its GHG emissions in Korea. Samsung scores top marks (doubled) on the energy efficiency of its battery chargers, most of which exceed the latest Energy Star standard. The only criterion for which Samsung fails to score any points is renewable energy, where it needs to set a target with a timeline to increase the percentage of renewable energy it uses globally.
—Daniel
