Greenpeace today (October 17th) released its "2017 Guide to Greener Electronics" globally, directly naming Samsung, Huawei, and Amazon as the least environmentally responsible companies. While Taiwanese electronics brands Acer and ASUS had previously pledged to gradually phase out polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFR) from their products, they have not yet completely eliminated them. In contrast, only Apple and Google have completely banned PVC and BFR across their entire product lines. Global electronics brands are increasingly environmentally conscious, adopting environmentally priority policies and practices in everything from energy to raw material sourcing. This necessitates industrial transformation for Taiwan, a country renowned for its electronics manufacturing, to adapt to global market trends. Greenpeace recommends that Taiwan's electronics industry leverage its R&D and production technologies, using ease of repair and durability as design foundations, while increasing the use of recycled materials and energy. This will not only achieve a circular economy but also create new opportunities in the face of climate change challenges. Lee Chi-An, Global IT Project Manager at Greenpeace, stated, "Consumer electronics have short lifecycles, rapidly consuming the Earth's limited resources and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The electronics industry still needs to work hard to improve product recycling programs, encourage users to actively recycle used electronic products, and develop more efficient recycling technologies to truly move towards a circular economy." Greenpeace evaluated 17 globally renowned electronics brands, assessing criteria including (1) increasing the use of renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions; (2) resource recycling and reducing the consumption of virgin materials; and (3) the management and elimination of hazardous chemicals in products and supply chains. During the evaluation process, Greenpeace continuously communicated with each brand to promote improvements in the IT industry, reduce carbon emissions and resource consumption in the supply chain, and mitigate environmental impact. Overall, while most electronics brands have begun using small amounts of recycled materials and promoting the use of renewable energy in their supply chains, progress has lagged far behind the speed of new product launches. Electronic waste is an especially pressing issue during the global electronics industry's transformation. Since 2014, global e-waste has surged from 48.9 million tons to 65 million tons, an increase of 33%, primarily due to planned obsolescence and an inadequate recycling system. In 2016, Greenpeace, in collaboration with the German Institute for Applied Ecology (Oeko Institut), studied the resource efficiency of global smartphone and tablet manufacturing and recycling processes. They found that over 1 billion smartphones and tablets consume more than 300,000 tons of resources, but due to inefficient and ineffective recycling technologies, less than half of the resources are recycled. These high-value resources that are not recycled become polluting e-waste. Notably, many tech brands employ "planned obsolescence" product designs, increasing sales by encouraging consumers to replace their products. While this may bring short-term profits, it leads to a rapid accumulation of e-waste. Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft products are notoriously difficult for consumers to disassemble, repair, or upgrade, with Samsung particularly notable for the sheer number and speed of its new product releases. Li Zhian stated, "Planned obsolescence designs shorten the lifespan of mobile phones, fueling overconsumption and accelerating resource depletion. This is also a major cause of the surge in electronic waste. The electronics industry should implement a circular economy, change its linear production model, and increase the recycling and reuse of materials." He further reminded consumers to consider the sources of electricity and materials used in the manufacturing process when choosing 3C products, opting for durable products, avoiding overconsumption, and preventing the depletion of Earth's resources. In April of this year, Apple publicly announced that it would use 100% recycled materials in its future production supply chain, sparking another wave of green reforms in the global electronics industry. This policy will drive the technology industry to increase product recycling rates and the use of recycled materials, thereby reducing the mining of primary minerals. In addition, since 2015, Apple has required its suppliers to gradually use 100% renewable energy. These proactive measures have propelled Apple to second place in the rankings. Taiwan is a major manufacturing hub for Apple products and will inevitably need to actively increase its procurement and actual use of renewable energy and materials. Li Zhian stated, "Taiwan's leading brands, Acer and ASUS, should take more proactive steps in committing to renewable energy use. I suggest that the two giants sign a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) as soon as possible to enhance their green competitiveness, assist in Taiwan's renewable energy development, and lead industrial transformation!" The 17 brands in this evaluation emitted over 100 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2016, while the IT industry consumed over 7% of global electricity demand in 2012, a figure projected to exceed 12% in 2017. Although many technology companies have begun switching to renewable energy in their office operations, and some have extended this use to data centers and sales operations, the scale of the transition still needs to be expanded. Especially since the 1990s, with the large-scale relocation of electronics production lines to Asia, Asian countries still heavily rely on coal for electricity, resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions and severe air pollution. Greenpeace recommends that the IT industry increase its use of renewable energy by installing its own renewable energy facilities or signing power purchase agreements with renewable energy companies, thereby further reducing carbon emissions and fulfilling its corporate sustainability commitments. The IT industry has transformed modern lifestyles and behaviors; currently, over 3 billion people worldwide own smartphones. To stimulate sales, brands continue to choose resource-intensive product designs, resulting in a situation where limited Earth resources cannot sustain this over-consumption business model. Greenpeace continues to urge brands to adopt circular economy principles in their electronics production strategies to reduce resource consumption and drive energy transition. It also encourages consumers to choose repairable and durable products, working together to lessen the burden on the planet. Source: Greenpeace (201...)
