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Examples of Manufacturers Phasing Out Toxic Flame Retardant Use
Many companies, especially
those in the electronics industry, have already begun the use of alternative
designs, materials, and flame-retardant additives, or are hard at work exploring
the possibility of phasing out brominated fire retardants (BFRs).
| Company |
What they are doing
to reduce Brominated Flame Retardant Use |
| Apple |
Most Apple products
contain no PBDEs in plastic parts weighing more than 25 grams.1 |
| Ericsson |
PBBs and PBDEs have
been totally banned from the products of this Swedish cellular phone company.
The company expected 80% of its printed wiring boards to be halogen free
in 2002.2 |
| IBM |
IBM produces the Intellistation,
using 100% recycled plastic containing no halogenated flame retardants.3 |
| IKEA |
IKEA has totally phased
out the use of BFRs in its products, including furniture, and is working
steadily toward being completely halogen free.4 |
| Intel |
Intel has replaced
BFRs in most plastics, and completely replaced PBBs and PBDEs.5 |
| Motorola |
Motorola produces one
phone that is BFR free, and has successfully replaced BFRs in laminated
circuit boards.6 |
| NEC |
NEC produces a plastic
called NuCycle which is halogen free and phosphorous free. It used in producing
casings for their products and contains recycled polycarbonate.7 |
| Panasonic |
In 1999, Panasonic
produced a television without halogenated flame retardants in wires, the
casing, or in a number of the circuit boards. Products which use some halogen
free plastics include PCs, air conditioners, televisions, and washing machines.8
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| Phillips |
Phillips Consumer Electronics
has a list of banned substances that include PBBs and PBDEs. Products are
evaluated against this list before introduction.9 |
| Sony |
Sony's green management
plan calls for the full elimination of BFRs from its products by 2003.10 |
1 Apple Computer, "Environmental
Attributes in Current Apple Products," viewed at www.apple.com
on 20 Jan. 2003.
2 Bette K. Fishbein, Inform Inc., Waste in the Wireless World: The Challenge
of Cell Phones, May 2002.
3 IBM annual environmental report cited by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition,
"Halogen Elimination," viewed at www.svtc.org
on 20 Jan. 2003.
4 Bjorn Frithiof, IKEA, personal communication, 5 Dec. 2002.
5 Greg Clemons and Todd Brady, Intel Corporation, Going BFR Free, presented
at the EFC9 Brominated Flame Retardants and Electronics Conference and Roundtable,
San Francisco, 24 September 2002; Electronic Industries Alliance, Assessing
End of Life Electronics Through Design: A compendium of Design-for-Environment
Efforts of EIA Members, viewed at www.eia.org
on 20 Jan. 2003.
6 Bette K. Fishbein, Inform Inc., Waste in the Wireless World: The Challenge
of Cell Phones, May 2002; Steve Scheifers, Motorola, Bromine Free Alternatives
in Electronic Products. presented at the EFC9 Brominated Flame Retardants
and Electronics Conference and Roundtable, San Francisco, 24 September 2002.
7 NEC annual environmental report cited by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition,
"Halogen Elimination," viewed at www.svtc.org
on 20 Jan. 2003.
8 Matsushita Electric, Environmental Data Files: Halogen Free Plastics,
viewed at www.matsushita.co.jp/environment
on 20 Jan. 2003. The full extent of halogenated compound replacement is not
clear from the report.
9 Electronic Industries Alliance, Assessing End of Life Electronics Through
Design: A compendium of Design-for-Environment Efforts of EIA Members, viewed
at www.eia.org on 20 Jan.
2003.
10 Sony Corporation, Green Management Plan, viewed at www.sony.com
on 13 Jan. 2003.
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