Posted by Laura - but actually by Tom:
It's been almost two years since Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony were added to the Guide to Greener Electronics, Nintendo has just struggled past the 1/10 mark, Microsoft has a feeble 2.5 and Sony has tumbled down to 4.5. So, what's up? Don't they care about toxic chemicals in consoles - or do they just need a bigger shove in the right direction?
One focus of the Guide is asking companies to drop the use of hazardous substances like brominated flame retardants and PVC plastic. No company is seriously quibbling over the fact that these nasties don't belong in their products. Indeed Apple's almost removed them entirely, Dell and Lenovo are making some products without them (but showing faltering progress), HP is probably making the least progress but is committed to dropping toxics from it's products, eventually....
Sony has dropped these chemicals from products such as the Vaio, so it knows it's better off without these toxic nasties - but has no plans to drop them from the Playstation at all. Do Sony laptop users deserve less chemicals than Playstation gamers?
Nintendo has a vague plan to remove PVC but still no date. Phasing out the BFRs (like Apple) has doesn't even figure in Nintendo's plans.
Microsoft at least has a date to drop PVC and BFRs but not till 2011, and so faces being left behind by Apple - again.
It might be easy to dismiss console makers low scores as not playing ball with Greenpeace, but the reality is that users are getting toxic chemicals as unwanted and unneeded extras in that shiny new console box. It's you who's getting short changed.
Watch the vids just released on gaming site Kotaku.com, take action.
Tom
