By Sustainability team
9th December 2010.
14:43
Yearly Archives: 2010
Greenbang, the sustainable business consulting and research organisation, recently announced the winners of ‘The 2010 Greenbang Awards’. The awards were launched this year to identify the most forward-thinking, and innovative companies that are helping to create a sustainable business future.
We are proud to tell you that Sony Ericsson won in the Best cross-organisation sustainability effort category for our GreenHeart initiative! Especially since it is such a cross organisational effort behind the products. All the small steps intergrated across the portfolio makes a much bigger difference than a single feature in a niche product that very few people are interested in.
We were commended for our drive to eliminate paper phone manuals, significantly reduce packaging, phase out hazardous substances in our products and recycle phones to recover valuable resources all as part of the initiative.
GreenHeart has had a tremendous year. In addition to this award, we have also been recognised in the GreenPeace Guide to Greener Electronics, and topped the O2 Eco Ratings with the Sony Ericsson Elm™ being named as the most sustainable handset. We know we are on the right track and now more and more people outside our organization also learn about it. We hope to continue the momentum into 2011 and beyond!
Yesterday the European Parliament voted for a compromise with the European Commission and the Council of Ministers regarding the review of the RoHS directive. The RoHS review include a new methodology for identification of substances for future restrictions. However, EU was not ready to take the step to include BFR (Brominated Flame Retardants) and PVC.
The new method for inclusion of substances is a step forward because from now it is stated that considerations also shall include the waste and end-of-life phase.
According to a recent statement from 150 scientists BFR and PVC produce hazardous dioxins and furans when they are incinerated at insufficiently high temperatures e.g. in sub standard recycling conditions. This was also one of the reasons for us to start the now concluded phase out of BFR and PVC from our products.
As far as I can understand this will inevitably will lead to inclusion of BFR and PVC into restrictions under RoHS the question is only when…..
Last week, GreenPeace released the 16th version of their Guide to Greener Electronics, where they rank the 18 top manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TVs and games consoles according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change. GreenPeace’s three goals with the ranking is to get companies to:
- Clean up their products by eliminating hazardous substances.
- Take back and recycle their products responsibly once they become obsolete.
- Reduce the climate impacts of their operations and products.
We are proud that Sony Ericsson stays in second place in the rank, with praise from GreenPeace regarding our work on the phase out of unwanted substances and our investments in green energy. But we also take the weaknesses pointed out by GreenPeace seriously and promise to focus extra hard to improve those scores for the next update of the ranking in three months time. Off course we aim for nothing short of that top position, and to be the first company to score 10 points!
If you want to read the full GreenPeace rank, please follow this link:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/electronics/how-the-companies-line-up/
Had the pleasure to participate in the presentation of the O2 report “tomorrows workspace” in the House of Commons this morning. My key take out was that by working with people and attitudes O2 managed to show that telecom and IT can improve the work environment, reduce environmental impact and improve work life balance for the people embracing flexible working.
Get inspired by the report and start to influence your own company to become a true 21st century office. Interesting enough on this web page (not linked to O2) there is a community where you can download an app to measure your own work impact, share results and good ideas.
Sony Ericsson in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Netherlands is currently running (October 11 – 18) a “GreenHeart Week” on Facebook and Twitter to coincide with the launch of Cedar in the countries (for anyone understanding German language). The activity includes tips and tricks on ecological topics as well as the GreenHeart application.
The GreenHeart week is hosted on Facebook and Twitter in German speaking countries. Users can click on our Green Heart and, during GreenHeart Week for each click we will donate €1.00 to Plant for the Planet. Founded by nine year old German Felix Finkbeiner in 2007, Plant for the Planet has the goal “Let’s plant million trees worldwide – a million in each country!” Felix has recently become a United Nations Environment Programme junior board member and the program has been rolled out all over the world with great success.
Now the latest addition to the GreenHeart family is on the way out to the shops. Cedar has all the same features as the rest of the 2010 GreenHeart phones.
In 2009 there were two GreenHeart models. In 2010 we double up to four models including the first smart phone, Aspen. Also the majority of new accessories meet the same requirements. Moving on to 2011 the plan is to continue to make a much wider portion of the new products meeting the same stringent requirements.
When we launched GreenHeart last year we also promised that the most important GreenHeart features would spread into the wider portfolio. You may wonder if we deliver on this promise. To give one example, in parallel to Cedar, Xperia X8 the most affordable Android product from Sony Ericsson (or any other major supplier for that matter) is on the way to the shops. Infact, X8 meet most of the GreenHeart requirements such as the small box, reduced paper in shipment (in-phone manual), no CD (in-phone software), no PVC, no Brominated flameretadants, efficient charger to name some of the major environmental improvements.
To find out in what markets Cedar will be sold please follow link and click “local availability”.
Smartphones are not “green” and it is a very relevant topic at busniessgreen.com.
Not Green but they may well be sustainable and some are definitely more green than others. There will always be an intrinsic environmental impact from all products but human society can become sustainable and IT and Telecom needs to be key enablers for us to achieve that.
James says “But these environmental benefits will only be realised if people really do use their smartphone for everything and stop buying other gadgets…” and continue “Otherwise, smartphones have simply been awarded extra points in the new O2 rating system that they do not really deserve” This is very true but on the other hand if the functionality is not there then it cannot be used either.
At the end James claims that you may question rating system based on “… that green rating systems that edge away from the physical characteristics of a device….”. I think this is not the case in the O2 system. It takes all the things James ask for into consideration but balance it with functionality relevant for a more sustainable life style.
I truly believe that there are electronic solutions that – if we use them right – they will develop society and make it more sustainable. However, the substitution will not happen automatically. I discuss this in the previous post on this blog.
Related to the post below, I think the O2 eco-rating is the best available rating on sustainability so far.
There are three main reasons for this. The first being that the eco-rating address positive potential for a product to contribute to a more sustainable life of the consumer and this is the first structured attempt to do this. Secondly the information gathered on the product is well balanced focusing on the relevant parameters from a life cycle perspective while many other attempts are too superficial alternatively dig very deep into things that makes no difference what so ever on the total product impact. Thirdly that that it takes the wider sustainability scope looking at company performance and not only a product “carbon footprint” potentially with some added environmental aspects.
Many skeptics claim that mobile phones does not replace anything. I believe this to be wrong. Let me give you one example. When I went to some interviews yesterday on the launch of Eco-rating I passed by London Eye. Then I noticed that there are almost no disposable cameras for sale in the small shops anymore. I realized that some years ago there would be hundreds. They are now replaced by the high quality camera in the mobile phone (for people that forgot their regular camera at home). Think about all the plastic and film and chemistry saved. Not to mention all the bad photo paper wasted on pictures that I remeber throwing away after they where taken with these inferior devices. Now, almost all people that forget their camera use their mobile phone (most people remeber to bring that) and if they print something then it is only the good pictures not every single frame.
I believe that if the functionality meets the customer requirement and expectation in a way that is easy and intuitive to use then the consumer will be very happy to replace a gadget or an activity. I remember the exact same discussion some years ago when e-mail was new. “E-mail does not save any paper, people print to read anyway”. Now, with better screens and improved user experience, I do not se anyone printing e-mails just to read. Yes, sometimes to file or bring directions on a trip but never just to read.
Sony Ericsson Elm™ Tops New Green Chart from O2
London 24 August 2010 – The Sony Ericsson Elm™ phone has been named the most sustainable handset on the market. The UK’s first sustainable rating system for mobile phones, O2’s Eco rating, awarded the Sony Ericsson Elm™ phone 4.3 out of 5 for its green credentials and companies good sustainability work. For more information information on how phones rank visit the O2 site “think big”. (some problems to access the rating outside UK)
Amongst 65 mobile phones, from six manufacturers*, the Sony Ericsson Elm™ phone was measured for its environmental impact, how it helps people lead more sustainable lives and Sony Ericsson’s ethical performance as a manufacturer. 5 out of the top 10 models in the rating come from Sony Ericsson with three models on the second highest score: Zylo, X10 mini and X10 mini pro.
Have a look at the Sony Ericsson press release
The title of the article in today’s the times is “Mobile phones ‘built on slave labour ”. Thank you for highlighting this topic.
Sony Ericsson does not benefit from the horrific situation in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The price for metals is set by the metal market and the amount originating from illegal sources is not enough to influence the price of metals. Rebel groups or other parties exploit the unstable situation in the region and reap the benefits.
Will a law in US or other places make any difference? Most of the activities surrounding so called conflict minerals in DRC are already illegal e.g. there are laws in DRC against child labor as well as for workers protection but the upholding of laws in the area is limited to say the least.
Problems with political and economic stability, rebel groups, respect for human rights, respect for the law, corruption etc blight the country and I fear that if the situation in DRC and surrounding countries is not improved then any system or attempt to trace conflict minerals will be challenging if not impossible. However, raising awareness about the topic is important. Pushing for attention and change in the supply chain will shed more light on the issue and bring more attention to the rebel groups’ operations, but ultimately it will take more than this to solve the problem.