Activists in Brussels
sticker 'Samsung
= broken promises'03 March 2010 - Brussels,
Belgium — Samsung still uses PVC and brominated
flame retardants (BFRs) in all its products,
except in a few models of mobile phone,
MP3 players and some components, despite
many promises to clean up. That's why our
activists stuck huge stickers on the Korean
electronic giant's Benelux headquarters
in Brussels on Wednesday stating "Samsung
= broken promises".
All new models of Apple,
Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones are PVC and
BFRs (brominated flame retardants) free,
and have been for over a year now. Meanwhile,
Samsung -- the world's second largest mobile
phone maker -- has only offered up two phones
which don't contain these toxic substances
(Blue Earth GT-S7550 and Reclaim M560).
A promise made in 2004
In June 2004, Samsung was the first electronics
company to publicly commit to eliminate
PVC and BFRs from new models of all its
products. In 2006 Samsung committed to phasing
our BFRs from its products by the start
of 2010. In 2007 it committed to a deadline
of end 2010 for the phase out of PVC. Both
moves saw the company gain points and position
in our influential Guide to Greener Electronics.
"Samsung's promises
are proving to be as thin as its TVs, as
it loses face and ground to competitors
like Apple, HP, Nokia and Sony Ericsson
who have long delivered products free of
these hazardous substances, proving that
this can be done," said Greenpeace
Electronics campaigner Iza Kruszewska. When
a company like Samsung goes back on its
commitments to clean up in the interest
of the environment and public health, it
erodes consumer trust in the brand. Any
delay in removing hazardous substances needs
to be clearly communicated with valid reasons.
Other companies ranked
in the Guide to Greener Electronics have
kept their promises, some even a year ahead
of deadlines. In contrast, Samsung only
admitted to Greenpeace weeks before it was
due to deliver new greener products that
it would break its promise. By this delaying
tactic Samsung was able to avoid losing
more points in our influential green ranking.
Samsung was penalized
in the last Guide for failing to meet its
deadline, and will likely be the first company
to get a second penalty in the next edition
of the Guide if it fails to show significant
progress on toxics phase out.
Poisoning the poor
During production, use
and disposal, PVC is the single most environmentally
damaging of all plastics, and can form dioxin,
a known carcinogen, when burnt during sub-standard
recycling practices. BFRs which are highly
resistant to degradation in the environment
and are able to bio-accumulate (build up
in animals and humans), can be released
from products during use and can also form
dioxins when burnt during the type of basic
recycling practices commonly used in Asia
and Africa.
A recent report by the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
found that unless urgent action is taken,
the e-waste crisis is set to worsen dramatically
in developing countries. The world is consuming
more and more electronic products every
year. This has caused a dangerous explosion
in electronic scrap (e-waste) containing
toxic chemicals and heavy metals that cannot
be disposed of or recycled safely.
Samsung needs to understand
-- what is good for human health, what is
good for the environment, is also good for
the company's bottom line. People are becoming
increasingly concerned about the environmental
impact of what they buy. They are also more
aware of corporate greenwash and spin. Samsung's
decision to renege on its green promises
will cost them consumer trust which is difficult
to win back.
