HP tops Greenpeace electronics guide

HP has won a plaudit from Greenpeace for sustainable business practices, beating technology companies including Dell, Nokia, and Apple.

HP topped the latest version of the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics for its efforts towards making sure its supply chain is using environmentally sound practices, Greenpeace campaigner Tom Dowdall told ZDNet UK on Wednesday.

"HP showed some of the strongest performances on sustainability criteria," said Dowdall.

Out of 15 technology companies in the guide, HP had the best policy for reducing the carbon footprint of its suppliers, and in requiring its suppliers to phase out the use of hazardous materials, said Dowdall. The company also has a policy of excluding paper from illegal logging, and of avoiding 'conflict minerals' — rare earth metals sourced mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which are sold to fund armed groups.

HP can make large improvements on the durability and lifespan of products, said Dowdall.

The company which fared worst in the guide was Blackberry-maker RIM, mainly for its use of environmentally contentious materials such as brominated flame retardants and PVC in its products. RIM appeared in the guide for the first time on Wednesday — it normally takes companies a certain amount of time to start to put more environmentally-friendly policies into place, said Dowdall.