Nintendo Fails on the Environment

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Eevery quarter GreenPeace puts out its 'Guide to Greener Electronics' which gives electronics companies a score between 0 and 10 based on "their policies and practices on toxic chemicals and takeback."

Nintendo is the first company ever to receive 0 points out of the possible 10.

A detailed report on Nintendo's scoring can be found here.

According to the guide:

The electronics scorecard ranks companies on:

Chemicals policy and practice (5 criteria)

1. A chemicals policy based on the Precautionary Principle
2. Chemicals Management: supply chain management of chemicals via e.g. banned/restricted substance lists, policy to identify problematic substances for future elimination/substitution
3. Timeline for phasing out all use of vinyl plastic (PVC)
4. Timeline for phasing out all use of brominated flame retardants (not just those banned by EU’s RoHS Directive)
5. PVC- and BFR-free models of electronic products on the market.

Policy and practice on Producer Responsibility for taking back their discarded products and recycling (4 criteria)

1. Support for individual (financial) producer responsibility – that producers finance the end-of-life management of their products, by
taking back and reusing/recycling their own-brand discarded products.
2. Provides voluntary takeback and recycling in every country where its products are sold, even in the absence of national laws
requiring Producer Responsibility for electronic waste.
3. Provides clear information for individual customers on takeback and recycling services in all countries where there are sales of its
products.
4. Reports on amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) collected and recycled.

Other companies that scored abhorrently low included Phillips (2.0) and Microsoft (2.7).

Microsoft and Nintendo had little to say about their scores. A Microsoft spokesperson said, "In our consumer electronics business, we comply with and exceed all environmental guidelines and regulations." While Nintendo claimed they were unaware of the report.

At the top of the list were Sony Ericsson (7.7), Samsung (7.7), Sony (7.3), Dell (7.3), and Lenovo (7.3).

In the computer department, Apple beat out Microsoft with a score of 6.0. Apple has also moved up from a previous spot of last place on the list, showing initiative and willingness to improve.

So, if you're looking for the greenest gadgets this holiday season you know where to look. For a game console you have to shell out the extra cash for the PS3 which leads to the inevitable question: Is it worth it?