Blog: Toxics

Question: switching from a computer running on Windows to one running on Linux could slash computer-generated e-waste levels by 50 per cent. True or false?

And the answer is (cue long drawn-out tension building drumroll): TRUE!

With Christmas getting ever closer we've some unfestive bad news for gaming giants Nintendo, makers of the popular Wii, Gamecube and Game Boy consoles. They've achieved a spectacular zero score in the latest edition of our quarterly Greener Electronics Guide - the first time such a feat has ever been accomplished.

The guide ranks companies on the toxic content of their products and their willingness to take back and recycle them once they become redundant. This is the first time that we've included gaming consoles, giving Nintendo the chance to leap straight into last place - an opportunity they grasped with both hands!

You might be looking forward to the European launch of Apple's iPhone in November (we were certainly looking forward to the possibility that the iPhone would prove Steve Jobs' newfound commitment to the environment).

Unfortunately, the iPhone's beauty only runs skin deep. A team of scientists got hold of one, dismantled it and uncovered nasty stuff that other phone makers have already stopped using, including two types of hazardous substances:

Our international office has the full story - including a report (pdf) and a slideshow of high quality images.

It's that time again; we've just released our latest quarterly Greener Electronics Guide, which ranks manufacturers on their toxics and recycling policies and practices.