Nintendo is still the most environmentally irresponsible console manufacturer in the world, according to the latest Guide to Greener Electronics from Greenpeace, but it looks like Microsoft is doing its best to catch up.
It’s a dubious honor, to be sure: Ever since console manufacturers first appeared in the Guide to Greener Electronics in late 2007, Nintendo has been the worst company on the list each and every time. In fact, Nintendo is the first and so far only company to ever score a perfect zero on the chart, a feat it managed in its very first appearance. The latest guide isn’t much better: This time around, Nintendo scored a little over one (on a scale of ten) but remains deep in the basement.
Microsoft, which was fourth from the bottom in the previous edition, slipped two points and is now second only to Nintendo. Sony, meanwhile, is lodged squarely in the middle of the pack alongside manufacturers like LGE, Apple, Motorola and Samsung, far from perfect but still considerably better than its competitors.
“It’s time for a little less conversation and a lot more action on removing toxic chemicals,” Greenpeace International Electronics Campaigner Casey Harrell said in a statement. “Apple, Sony Ericsson and Nokia are winning this game and HP is catching up, but lack of action from other companies is ensuring that customers and the environment are still losing out.”
“In 2010, we should see significant developments, with products free of PVC and BFRs in the PC and TV markets,” added Greenpeace International Toxics Campaigner Iza Kruszewska. “Any company failing to achieve this goal is taking a big gamble with its green reputation.”
A complete breakdown of the companies on the list that explains what they’re doing right and, more often, what they’re screwing up is available at greenpeace.org.
