Apple Cutting out Toxic Materials, Dell, HP, Lenovo Lagging
July 3rd, 2009 - Dell, HP, and Lenovo have each backtracked on their commitment to have PVC and BFR free products by the end of 2009. Is this because it’s just impossible to use non-toxic materials and still have a good product? Apple’s new computers are almost totally free of PVC and are free of BFRs, proving that the technology exists and the supply chains can provide it.
Apple’s new computers are completely free of BFRs and have almost no PVC. The internal cables are BFR-free and PVC-free. The bold advertisement campaign touting green notebooks brings public attention to the toxicity of electronics and awareness that there are other options. After
the spat earlier this year, it seems that Apple is coming through with innovations where others are simply not doing it. Acer is also putting out monitors that significantly reduce the BFR and PVC content, as well as other technology companies rated even higher.
Basically, brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are chemicals which are added to materials to make them more resistant to lighting on fire and burning quickly. BFRs are toxic, do not degrade in the environment, and actually accumulate in animal and human bodies through repeated exposure.
PVC is a widely used chlorinated plastic, often applied in its rigid form in building trades. Electronics industries add softening chemicals and use it in the resulting flexible (plasticised) form to insulate wires. Greenpeace asserts that “during its production, use, and disposal [PVC] is the single most environmentally damaging of all plastics, and can form dioxin, a known carcinogen, when burned.”
Greenpeace provides an
in depth explanation of why PVC and BFRs are such a big deal.
In this version of the Guide to Greener Electronics, Greenpeace
docked HP, Dell and Lenovo a full point (out of 10) for backtracking on their commitments regarding BFRs and PVC. The Guide calls for electronics companies to eliminate hazardous substances, takeback and recycle their products, and reduce the climate impacts of their operations and products. The presence of harmful chemicals prevents and complicates recycling so the criteria are intimately interconnected. See how the companies stack up on the updated
Guide to Greener Electronics.
Put your two cents in the comments section below. What kind of computer do you use? Did the toxicity affect your decision, your company's decision? Will it in the future?
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