U.S. high tech companies are the worst globally for taking steps to minimise the use of hazardous materials in electronic products and encourage the use of greener materials and recycling, according to the 2002 Report Card from the Computer TakeBack Campaign (CTBC).
According to the report, the U.S. is now behind other countries in developing solutions to curb the use of hazardous components in computer manufacturing. The report states that countries that already have legislation in place such as the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) in Europe and the Appliance Recycling Law in Japan have already gone some way in forcing manufacturers to reassess their manufacturing processes and accept responsibility for products throughout their lifecycle.
The Report Card highlights the concern of how American manufacturing companies continue to conduct their businesses. Some companies stand accused of continuing to export e-waste from the U.S. to developing countries. The report also notes that some companies are dealing in double standards regarding the takeback of certain products by offering different takeback services depending on local regulations. The report also underlines that there is currently uneven progress in reducing lead in computer products and efforts to replace brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and PVC with less toxic alternatives have been insufficient.
Of the 28 electronics manufacturers evaluated in the report, only Fujitsu received a passing grade with a score of 35 (out of 68). The report assessed companies in the areas of extended producer responsibility (EPR), hazardous materials use, occupational health and safety and ease of information access. At the bottom of the rankings, 16 companies including NEC, Gateway, Dell, Sharp and Philips failed the test entirely. Three companies, Hitachi, Hewlett Packard/ Compaq and OKI were given a 'poor' score and the report noted that those companies had taken steps in the removal of lead from products.
Eight companies including Canon, IBM, Apple and Sony 'needed improvement' and the report gave extra credit to Apple for describing how its machines were disassembled for recycling and Sony was recognised for describing its recycling policies.
The top three ranking companies were Fujitsu which the report said "leads the computer industry in both environmental innovation and public disclosure", Canon for mapping a future with less toxic products and IBM for setting goals and deadlines to eliminate lead in its products.
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Executive pay:
The economy stinks. Rank-and-file engineers are feeling the pain. What about technology CEOs? We crunched the numbers buried in corporate financial statements to find out. Here's what we found.
10 companies in trouble (revisited):
What follows is an updated version of 10 companies in trouble. Some companies have been removed since the last version, others remain. Still others have been added to the mix.
Early predictions for 2010:
The electronics industry is recovering, but there is still some uncertainty in the market. Some see a boom year in 2010. Some see a double dip. So what's in store for the rest of this year and 2010?
Top 10 IC vendors with cash:
The world's biggest IC companies by revenue rank not only among the best in their respective industry segments but are also more likely to have huge piles of cash that can be used to fund acquisitions, R&D and product development.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
