Laptops, mobile phones, and tablets have become indispensable electronic tools in modern life, and the rate at which consumers buy and discard electronic products is increasing exponentially with the pollution hazards they cause. In light of this, the demand for green electronic products is rising, and the industry has confirmed that green electronics are not out of reach. When companies are willing to fully utilize the technologies and innovations that the electronics industry prides itself on in clean manufacturing processes, changes will be seen, including improved energy efficiency in electronic products and the gradual phasing out of harmful substances used in them.
Since 2006, the well-known environmental organization Greenpeace has launched a green electronics promotion campaign in Europe, creating green electronics product guides and green electronics brand survey rankings, and putting pressure on international electronics brand manufacturers in terms of consumer purchasing choices, hoping to encourage consumer electronics manufacturers to voluntarily prohibit the addition of harmful substances to their products.
According to Greenpeace's "Green gadgets: designing the future" report published in late 2014, Apple is the only company that has completely phased out polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in all computer components and external wiring. While 50% of companies in the market have stopped using PVC and BFRs in other components, other computer manufacturers continue to use PVC in wiring and some external parts.
The electronics industry's ambition to completely eliminate PVC and brominated flame retardants from all components of its products needs to be redoubled. Recent changes in the consumer electronics market may also threaten the progress made in the environmental performance of mobile phones. Manufacturers of low-cost smartphones, such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and Micromax, are rapidly expanding their market share in Asia. Compared to the green efforts of other major international brands over the past decade, these emerging brands, while reducing production costs and product prices, must quickly implement policies to stop using harmful substances; otherwise, the environmental progress achieved by the entire industry over the past five years could be lost.
Many chemicals used in the electronics industry today still pose significant risks. Long-term exposure to these hazardous chemicals on production lines negatively impacts the health of workers. Furthermore, when these chemicals are released as industrial waste, they can cause irreversible environmental damage. Therefore, greening electronics requires stopping the use and emission of hazardous chemicals from the supply chain. Eliminating hazardous chemicals from electronics is only the first step in detoxifying the supply chain; much work remains to be done to meet these challenges. The following are some necessary measures:
• Transparency – From Products to Supply Chain. The principle of information transparency is a crucial indicator for evaluating a company's environmental policies and operations. This principle must extend to emissions from the supply chain, requiring each facility to disclose its corresponding hazardous chemical emissions data.
• Eliminate the use and emission of hazardous substances throughout the entire supply chain. The electronics industry must develop and implement reliable supply chain management policies that, based on eliminating hazardous substances from products, further manage the emission of hazardous substances during the production process.
• Voluntary Electronic Waste Recycling Program - Electronic waste is often sent to developing countries for dismantling and recycling, which leads to numerous environmental and health problems. Therefore, brands should take corporate responsibility and independently plan recycling programs for electronic products.
Many small and medium-sized enterprises in my country are upstream suppliers for international consumer electronics brands. In addition to complying with international regulations on hazardous substances in electronic products, they should also pay attention to the detoxification commitments required by environmental groups for these brands and actively seek alternative solutions for hazardous substances used in their factories in order to ensure sustainable operation.
Greenpeace 2014 Green Electronics Reporting Guidelines – Report Summary (Chinese Version). Please see the attached document for details: 2014 Green Electronics Reporting Guidelines_Report Summary_Chinese Version
Sources:Chemical Watch (2015-05-15) (Compiled by PIDC) Attachment file:2014 Green Electronics Reporting Guidelines - Report Summary - Chinese Version.pdf
