10
June 2008 - International — “Sense and Simplicity”
became the slogan of the Dutch electronics
giant, Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
– better known as Philips – in 2004. But
when it comes to taking responsibility for
the electronic waste (e-waste) generated
by their products, we don’t think they’ve
been showing much of either. So, this morning
we paid them a visit – at their head offices
in Denmark, India Russia and the Netherlands,
demanding they adopt a sensible policy and
simply stop dumping e-waste.
Greenpeace activists
delivered 500 Philips television sets and
100 pieces of Philips electronic equipment
to the company’s headquarters in Amsterdam.
The e-waste was obtained from an e-waste
trader; this very same e-waste would most
probably have ended up on a scrapyard in
countries like China, India or in Africa.
Without responsible
recycling and voluntary take-back systems,
when electronic equipment reaches the end
of its useful life, most of it ends up in
household waste or is exported – often illegally
– to the developing world to deal with.
When this discarded e-waste is dumped in
Africa, or broken up in the informal recycling
yards of Asia, it exposes people and the
environment to the cocktail of toxic chemicals
still being used to make electronic products.
Unlike other major electronics
companies, Philips has no take-back policies
for its end-of-life products unless forced
to do so by legislation. Unsurprisingly,
Philips has been lobbying hard against legislation
that makes companies directly responsible
for the costs of recycling and safe disposal
of their own products. And, on top of all
that, Philips has even publicly stated that
it is the customer who should pay. The Dutch
public beg to differ: an opinion poll carried
out in the Netherlands revealed that 94
percent of the public believe that electronics
producers should take responsibility for
collecting their own electronic waste.
Other companies, such
as Sony, Samsung and Nokia, have introduced
take-back schemes, even in those countries
where they’re not required to do so by law.
And, as a bonus, voluntary take-back systems
encourage producers to phase out the use
of toxic substances in their products at
the design stage – recycling becomes safer
and the costs to companies for recycling
end-of-life products is reduced.
This is the sense and
simplicity we’d like to see Philips demonstrate!
Philips needs a full, global programme of
take-back schemes in all countries where
its products are sold. Especially in Russia,
India, Argentina and Thailand - countries
that are currently discussing national e-waste
legislation - so now is an ideal time for
Philips to take a lead in supporting the
principles of individual producer responsibility.
Back in Amsterdam, following
our actions, Philips’ CEO Gerard Kleisterlee
agreed to talk to our campaigners. We told
him that if Philips continues to refuse
to live up to its responsibilities, the
result will be a huge amount of hazardous
e-waste spreading around the globe, and
not just on their office door steps. He
promised he’d get back to us by the 15 of
July and tell us what Philips intends to
do.
We’ll be waiting. And
it would be good, in the meantime, if Philips
remembers its old slogan: “Let’s Make Things
Better!”
+ More
Greenpeace occupies
proposed Philippine coal station site (Updated)
13 June 2008 - Iloilo
City, Philippines — Greenpeace activists
from different countries, including the
crew of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow
Warrior, and members of Responsible Ilonggos
for Sustainable Energy (RISE) have established
a "climate defenders camp" at
the site of a proposed Philippines coal
plant coal in Iloilo.
They are demanding the
cancellation of the plant. They are also
calling on the Philippine Senate to fast
track the passage of the Renewable Energy
(RE) Bill, which has already been passed
by the House of Representatives, to pave
way for ambitious renewable energy development
in the country making any notion of new
coal redundant.
Update - 15 June In
an unprovoked attempt to disrupt the camp,
workers from the Panay Power Corporation
(PPC), acting under orders from management,
tried to dismantle the camp tower while
Greenpeace climbers were still on the structure
and could have been injured. Later the workers
fenced in the Camp tower with bamboo poles
and tarpaulin, cutting off the Greenpeace
activists.
The harassment happened
in the presence of local Police, Barangay
officials, and PPC management. It began
at 1:30 PM today, as 20 Greenpeace volunteers
and some representatives from RISE (Responsible
Ilonggos for Sustainable Energy) were hosting
a gathering with around 20 townsfolk from
Bgy Ingore, shortly after a solidarity activity,
where Greenpeace volunteers and community
folk planted symbolic windsocks at the camp
site.
Read the full update
here, or see Mareike's blog entries on Making
Waves here and here.
President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo has given strong backing for the
construction of the 165 MW coal plant, even
though it will contribute to climate change
and contaminate local communities.
"A coal plant does
not and must not have any business in Iloilo
nor the Philippines anymore. We want clean
renewable energy to power the development
of the city and our country. The entire
Western Visayas should be made a development
model for renewable energy," said Melvin
Pursuelo, the convener of RISE.
On Wednesday, the Philippine
House of Representatives passed the Renewable
Energy Resources Act, which seeks to promote
the development, utilisation and commercialisation
of renewable energy in the Philippines.
The passage of the Act is a significant
milestone in a country where community opposition
to coal power plants is surging due to concerns
about climate change and pollution.
Recently, leading political
figures have also voiced strong opposition
to coal plants, backed our call for the
country to "Quit Coal" and supported
clean renewable energy developments. The
governor of Albay province, an area recently
hit by disastrous typhoons and mudslides,
has declared the province a coal free zone,
in addition to Negros Occidental which has
already adopted a path towards a 100% renewable
energy. Meanwhile, Senators Miguel Zubiri
and Pia Cayetano expressed support for our
"Quit Coal" campaign and a shift
to renewable energy.
"The Senate must
pass the Renewable Energy Bill. The present
situation demands that the government quickly
and radically improve energy efficiency,
deal with the problems of energy distribution
and develop the renewable energy market.
We have to do it now while the country sits
on 54 percent over-capacity for electricity
generation and a huge renewable energy potential.
The threat of climate impacts to the entire
country should be enough to spur the government
to mitigate and adapt, starting with the
cancellation of new coal power plant projects,"
said Jasper Inventor, Climate and Energy
Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
A new study has revealed
that the Philippines has a renewable energy
potential of more than 200,000 MW from a
combination of geothermal, wind, solar,
biomass, and mini-hydro - more than five
times the country's current energy demand.
Most of the renewable energy potential is
yet to be tapped because of the absence
of an investment and development framework
and delays by the Arroyo government in passing
the Renewable Energy Bill.
The Rainbow Warrior
is in the Philippines to spearhead the Greenpeace
"Quit Coal Tour" in Southeast
Asia and the Pacific. We aim to promote
an energy revolution to stop climate change,
which includes phasing out the use of climate-damaging
coal and rejecting nuclear power, and calls
for a massive uptake of renewable energy.
