17/08/2005 - A boy winces
at the acrid smoke rising from the computer
motherboards being melted over open fires
in a electronics waste (e-waste) recycling
yard in Delhi. Such open air burning of electronics
parts to recover metals causes large exposure
of workers and the environment to toxic pollution.
International — "Life's Good" might
be the LG motto but life just got a whole
lot better for the planet after LG electronics
announced that they are committing to eliminating
toxic chemicals from their entire consumer
electronics range.
LG's commitment comes after we lifted the
lid earlier this year on many top brand electronics'
companies poor performance in removing toxic
chemicals from their products and the mountains
of electronic waste (e-waste) that they generate.
After finding themselves exposed on the Internet
at the bottom of the e-waste pile, LG contacted
Greenpeace to find out what they had to improve.
Soon after, they committed to eliminating
hazardous chemicals from their entire product
range. If LG found it so easy to make the
commitment, and companies with more than half
the market share in mobile phones and a significant
market share of other consumer electronics
making a similar commitment, why can't the
slackers at Dell, Apple or Acer do the same?
LG joins the growing list of environmental
leaders like Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung
and Sony who have already made commitments
to eliminate the toxic chemicals in their
products.
The commitments aren't just good for consumers
who will be able to buy electronic products
that are less harmful to the environment but
also for the workers in the factories where
the products are made and the scrap yards
where many of the products are dismantled
for recycling or disposal.
Damning report
The commitment from LG comes as we released
a damning report on the e-waste trade to China
and India. Discarded electronic waste from
around the world is being shipped to developing
countries in the name of recycling but the
reality is far less appealing. Heavy metals
like lead are finding their way into the environment
and even people's homes at much higher rates
than normal levels.
Dr. Kevin Brigden, Greenpeace scientist,
who collected the samples of dust from workshops,
as well as wastewater, soil and sediment from
local rivers concluded that, "The data
reinforces the need for the electronics industry
to eliminate the use of harmful substances
in their products at the design stage and
take responsibility for their products at
the end of their lifecycle."
Now the momentum for companies to clean up
their act in the electronics industry is gathering
pace it remains to be seen what other brands
will show environmental leadership. The industry
also needs to show it is serious about tackling
the problem of e-waste by taking back it products
at the end of their lifecycle rather than
allowing poor countries to deal with toxic
e-waste.
