The Industry Standard: Holding Computer Manufacturers Accountable For E-Waste

Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 - A new California law builds recycling costs into the initial purchase, adding between $6 and $10 per computer, based on the size of your monitor.

EPEAT - The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool ranks computer desktops, laptops and monitors based on their environmental attributes. This EPA-funded program identifies products as EPEAT-Bronze, EPEAT-Silver, or EPEAT-Gold depending on the level of environmental awesomeness.

WEEE - The European Union is drafting a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive to hold manufacturers responsible for their environmental impact.

Greenpeace - Offers published rankings of top electronics producers, so we can make more informed decisions about our purchases.

So, how do individual manufacturers stack up?

According to the most recent report from Greenpeace, Sony Ericcson leads the pack on phasing out toxic materials in production, with Sony, Nokia, and Sumsung close behind. Dell is commended for phasing out toxic chemicals and e-waste, but scores lower on energy issues.

And Dell hopes to be on the forefront of an initiative to make computers last longer through modular production that would lead to replacement of parts (rather than the whole kit and kaboodle).

HP is strong on recycling and committed to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Apple is reducing their use of the worst toxic chemicals. Low scores on energy except for good energy efficiency in products.

Microsoft and Nintendo are the clear losers. They have made some commitment to toxic phase-out but perform poorly on e-waste and energy issues.

See them all.