Greenpeace: Nintendo most eco-unfriendly

By Games Industry.biz Published 8 January, 2010

Scores minimal points in annual report.

Greenpeace has more highlighted Nintendo as the most environmentally unfriendly of all its annually surveyed electronics companies.

This year's Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics study scored the company just 1.4 out of 10 for its chemical, e-waste and energy policies, the lowest of the 18 companies included.

The Japanese manufacturer scored zero on e-waste and on its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to a second year of increases, despite its pledge to cut them.

It did pick up some plus points for its chemical policies - for having PVC-free internal wiring in its consoles, banning phthalates and monitoring the use of other harmful chemicals.

The company has said it will eventually eliminate its use of PVC, however hasn't set a timeline for its phase-out.

Points were also gained for the low power Nintendo DSi AC adaptor and for disclosing CO2 emissions from its own operations, but they weren't enough to lift the company from last place, where it has remained for several years.

Microsoft fared little better in the guide, with a score of 2.4 points, which put it just one place above Nintendo at the bottom.

Of the three console makers, it was Sony that revealed itself as the most green, gaining one place to 7th in the chart with a score of 5.1.

Points were awarded for Sony's 17 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases from 2000-2008, with renewable energy now accounting for eight per cent of that purchased globally by the company, and it was also praised for its use of recycled plastics in its products.

Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba led the chart, while Apple was applauded for its rapid response to completely eliminating chemicals from its computer systems.

"It's time for a little less conversation and a lot more action on removing toxic chemicals," said Greenpeace campaigner Casey Harrell. "Apple, Sony Ericsson and Nokia are winning this game and HP is catching up, but the lack of action from other companies is ensuring that customers and the environment are still losing out."

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Comments (49) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • MiniAmin #1 2 years ago

    Well it can't be hygienic leaving Wii all over the place

    /runs

  • mega7ech #2 2 years ago

    Greenpeace = Tree hugging hippies!

  • Eraysor #3 2 years ago

    Note to Casey Harrell - you are not Elvis.

  • AphoticCosmos #4 2 years ago

    So not only are they failing to produce any decent games these days, they're also destroying the world?

    Awesome.

  • RobTheBuilder #5 2 years ago

    Last time out iirc Greenpeace rated them bottom mainly because they didn't provide data, not because they were actually bottom. Not sure I trust this at all.

    Aphotic- You clearly haven't played NSMB on Wii then.
    Edited by 1 at 08/01/10 @ 13:32

  • gav_and_the_gavster #6 2 years ago

    The vast amount of gas that entered the atmosphere when my two great aunts were getting rather animated playing Wii Sports on boxing day should also be taken into account.

  • flaming.carrot #7 2 years ago

    Not to mention that all those crappy plastic add-on golf clubs, steering wheels etc will be sitting in landfills for centuries to come.
    Edited by 1 at 08/01/10 @ 13:47

  • SEVQA #8 2 years ago

    Global Warming, what a crock! Why is it when the ice cubes in my vodka and coke have melted it doesn't spill over the sides? Displacement!!! yes, so how is melting ice at the poles causing the sea to rise??? Nintendo Wii is to blame clearly.

  • woodnotes #9 2 years ago

    Considering the Wii is by FAR the most energy efficient console, I'm sure that more than makes up for their manufacturing processes.

  • robg #10 2 years ago

    yes, so how is melting ice at the poles causing the sea to rise???

    Antarctica doesn't float, muppet.

  • Brodie #11 2 years ago

    Why is it when the ice cubes in my vodka and coke have melted it doesn't spill over the sides? Displacement!!! yes, so how is melting ice at the poles causing the sea to rise???

    When ice melts, it's no longer ice...

  • AphoticCosmos #12 2 years ago

    "Global Warming, what a crock! Why is it when the ice cubes in my vodka and coke have melted it doesn't spill over the sides? "

    The Global Ocean != your Vodka and Coke.

    I suppose you can also explain why sea levels have fallen and ice sheets have expanded during every period of global cooling that we can account for in the Quarternary, and why, conversely, sea levels have risen as ice sheets have retreated during every period of global warming in the Quarternary period? What's that, you can't?

    Idiot.

  • towser #13 2 years ago

    save trees

    ...

    eat a beaver!

  • SEVQA #14 2 years ago

    @AphoticCosmos

    Yes I can, It's nature and the changes happen are not only global but universal where the actions of sorting rubbish have about as much impact as an ant at a picnic.

    Within the greater scheme of things we are dust specs! though some like you AphoticCosmos are specs of turd!!! That's just the way things roll...

  • swissorc #15 2 years ago

    oh well fuck off green peace

  • jiveguy #16 2 years ago

    What are apple making their computers from now that they have eliminated all chemicals? Wouldn't surprise me if they are pure energy held together by the power of Steve Jobs mind alone.

  • TonyHarrison #17 2 years ago

    "Curious minds wonder why Nintendo refuses to provide the data. How would it hurt them? "

    Nintendo, nor any other company in the world have a legal requirement to tell Greenpeace anything. Anything they do tell them is simply because of goodwill, and judging from the actual report, Nintendo have continued to take this stance.

    Two sections are listed as 'no information', and others say things like "it is disappointing that Nintendo has yet to make a statement on the need for mandatory reduction of GHG emissions," for which the hippies give them a mark of zero...

  • Murton #18 2 years ago

    It could be argued that the Wii is the most energy efficient console that I've ever owned, but that is purely due to the fact that it hasn't been switched on in almost a year.

    I'm a not a big believer in the whole human factor of climate change anyway, there's more proof to state that the temperature of the Earth is rising and falling naturally than there is proof that we've broken the planet. Haven't Greenpeace got better things to do with the money they scam from hippy types anyway? If Greenpeace was one of those organisations that I actually agreed with and supported I'd like to see them out there raising hell and doing good, not sending pointless surveys out to big companies in an attempt to get them to admit to their waste figures.

  • robson_wii #19 2 years ago

    @SEVQA - Arctic ice floats so won't affect sea levels. Antarctic ice and any land-locked ice / glaciers melting will affect sea levels. As water heats it also expands but this is a drop in the ocean compared to land-locked ice melting ;-)

  • Doctor_What #20 2 years ago

    I'm more prone to believing the 98% of scinentists who are convinced that humans are accountable for a proportion of global warming than yoiur opinion Murton. No offence intended, and you have a right to your opinions, but the evidence does seem to overwhelmingly indicate human involvement in the process. The degree of involvement is up for debate still, but the existence of the relationship is nigh-on unquestionable.

  • Phishfood #21 2 years ago

    On top of that the Wii consumes the most power in standby mode out of all current gen consoles.

  • bmxbandit #22 2 years ago

    Why does this new breed of gaming nerd not care about nature and shit?

    Not enough captain planet eh.

  • RESIDENT_nEVILe #23 2 years ago

    FROM: http://ww w.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/...
    ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------
    Q. Are the chemicals as hazardous as you say?

    A. Using chemicals like brominated fire retardants and PVC, in game console components, leads to hazardous substances which can build up in the environment and in human and animal tissue. Workers in production facilities as well as recyclers in scrap yards may be exposed to particularly high levels of some of the most hazardous chemicals used in the electronics industry. Users of computers or electronic might also experience low levels of exposure.

    Safer alternatives are readily available for most if not all dangerous substances. Electronics companies should use them. They should also identify how to overcome remaining problems so as to deliver truly green products. A few years ago, the electronics industry said there was no alternative to toxic lead solder. Yet when European law required them to look for alternatives, they found substitutes in the form of copper, silver and tin.
    ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------


    And we all know how well that went :) Hundreds of thousands of consoles in a never ending stream of repairs for RROD and YLOD and various other failiures where the lead free solder has cracked.

    I would like to see the pollution from shipping and all waste from dealing with these failiures taken into account. What we have at the moment isn't an ideal situation. I respect what all these people are trying to do, but..

    Leave our games systems alone! Go and play with your whales or something :(

    /mutates

  • miiiguel #24 2 years ago

    I like Greenpeace work. If instituitons like them didn't exist we probably be living in a pool of smelly dirt, just spend sometime reading or watching some documentaries from industry in the '70s or early '80s. Of course, probably the ones who think they're "hippy tree huggers" or whatever is the name now take today's "higiene awareness" for granted, but it wasn't always like this and it improved not because CEO's will.
    Greenpeace (and stuff alike) can't work in China, they can't see the sun or the stars, they live under a cloud of dirt. In Soviet Russia the same happened, and... Chernobyl.
    Edited by 1 at 08/01/10 @ 15:58

  • RESIDENT_nEVILe #25 2 years ago

    @ Miiiguel

    Stop with your common sense and reasonable opinion :)

    My toy has broken and I am looking for someone to blame!

  • miiiguel #26 2 years ago

    You're right, I'm pretty boring. :)

  • GordonJ #27 2 years ago

    "Greenpeace has more highlighted Nintendo as the most environmentally unfriendly"

    has once more?

  • IneptPercy #28 2 years ago

    As fpr global warming and if humans are causing it, yes many agree it is our fault, but have any of them actually proven it?

    Seems odd the say the dinosaurs burnt up for some reason, then there was an ice age... maybe its getting hotter again... maybe its a natural cycle...

    Yes yet again another theory but just as valid.

    Edit:
    -5 for contributing a valid point.

    I should have just said I like burgers, may not of offended as many.
    Edited by 1 at 09/01/10 @ 10:23

  • Kami #29 2 years ago

    So this means Jeremy Clarkson will be buying 10 Nintendo Wii's now?

  • ChocNut #30 2 years ago

    Lol at jiveguy - what's the bets the new Apple slate is made of shapeshifting hyper-toxins though?

  • KillerMonkey #31 2 years ago

    No chemicals in Apple computers..?

    For some reason, I don't think I can trust this.

  • smelly #32 2 years ago

    STOP GIVING THESE SCUM PUBLICITY!!!

    Sheesh! It's what they want - it's like the little kid yelling "me me! Over here! Look at me!"


    Greenpeace : Give us this private information about how you run your company
    Nintendo : (no reply)
    Greenpeace : Give it to us or we'll give you a low score
    Nintendo : (no reply)
    Greenpeace : All right then.. we'll show you!

  • 8bitMofo #33 2 years ago

    Nintendo should make a Wii Whaling game, just to piss them off even more.

  • Bluetooth #34 2 years ago

    Surely Greenpeace should be saying that ALL electronics are eco-unfriendly? After all, 0 watts per hour is far better than 23W (or however low it is). Similarly, producing ZERO electronics means no emissions at all.
    Edited by 1 at 09/01/10 @ 05:15

  • My1stLoveJak #35 2 years ago

    Wait...vodka and coke? I dunno if those go well, together. Appletini FTW.

    Not happy to hear this, Nintendo. White plastic does not mean environmentally friendly or clean. Sony gained some points, in my book.

  • My1stLoveJak #36 2 years ago

    I love it when people have a right to their opinions...means I can say things like, "Green is red!" and have it all be true.

    Knowledge is where it's at. Opinions have no place in any kind of intellectual discussion. In fact, opinions end discussion. "That's what I think, so, there. I have a right to my opinion." *walks out of room*

  • davisorle #37 2 years ago

    " praised for its use of recycled plastics in its products"

    o.O Way to go Sony? Ok to be green but not that extend ffs.

    But really, i didn't expect Nintendo to be at a 0 ecofriendly level.

  • smurphs #38 2 years ago

    Gaming in general is inherently bad for the planet. So much plastic it's embarassing, and god knows how much nuclear waste is created by the power-sucking use of the consoles. One of my resolutions this year is to reduce my impact, so I'm going to play a bit less, download more games to save on plastic, and play on the wii a bit more in place of the 360/PS3 (when I was living in a caravan I loved the fact that I could run the gamecube off the 12v car battery). Small steps and all that....
    Edited by 1 at 09/01/10 @ 11:32

  • smurphs #39 2 years ago

    Oh, and re. the are we or aren't we to blame for global warming - surely it's obvious that we're consuming far more of the earth's resources than is sustainable? That in itself is unfair to future generations - we were handed this big pot of oil to play with and we're consuming it as if it'll never run dry.

    p.s. I've never hugged a tree in my life. I did once make a wooden case for my PSP to try to reduce the 'chaos' it emitted though, so fair play to anyone who wants to have a crack at this pot!

  • Waffleaber #40 2 years ago

    Surely the fact the wii and some of it's games are made from recycled gamecube parts has to count for something?!

  • sarcasmoidosis #41 2 years ago

    Well, we shouldn't really care about this subject since, in the eyes of the general public, we're all fat virgin mass murderers, right?

  • Stomp224 #42 2 years ago

    Recycling all those Gamecubes into Wiis has really paid off, eh Nintendo? Low productions costs AND a pat on the head from Greenpeace!

  • dave-on #43 2 years ago

    When does the Greenpeace console launch?

  • freakzilla #44 2 years ago

    Greenpeace are a bunch of pricks. While I support energy conservation, controlling emissions etc I would never such a self righteous prick about it.
    Edited by 1 at 09/01/10 @ 19:13

  • callum9999 #45 2 years ago

    Who knew so many gamers were highly trained climatologists! (Or is the more likely option that they read a random report on the internet and decided that one must be better than the "official" theories as it doesn't inconvenience them as much...).

  • themanfromdelmonte #46 2 years ago

    ""Global Warming, what a crock! Why is it when the ice cubes in my vodka and coke have melted it doesn't spill over the sides? "

    The Global Ocean != your Vodka and Coke.

    I suppose you can also explain why sea levels have fallen and ice sheets have expanded during every period of global cooling that we can account for in the Quarternary, and why, conversely, sea levels have risen as ice sheets have retreated during every period of global warming in the Quarternary period? What's that, you can't?

    Idiot."

    Not even an original idiot, this is a platitude copied from James May, off the telly.

  • jambii267 #47 2 years ago

    I think last year the low rating had something to do with Nintendo offering no facilities to recycle old consoles, mainly because they still work and people still want to keep them.

  • gjgjg #48 2 years ago

    so they didnt consider the ps3's heavy power consumption then?
    and as the wii is on the opposite side I guess everyone's as bad as each other maybe?

  • Murton #49 2 years ago

    It's not so much that don't accept that humans have played a part in the change of the climate just that I don't believe we're as big a factor as certain parties would like us to believe, I'd say over-population is largely responsible for any potential human effect on the global climate. In fact many studies describe pre-industrial Europe as having a near tropical climate, yet thanks to global warming it's now cold and wet throughout northern Europe.

    Again I'm not saying that humans haven't had an effect, it's just that my own science background has taught me not to take things at face value, and as much of the data on this subject hasn't been made freely available I have no choice but to remain sceptical about the whole thing.
    Edited by 1 at 11/01/10 @ 00:08

  • SEVQA #50 2 years ago

    Where ever you think my comments came from is irrelevant as it had the desired effect and that was to piss off environmentalist like you.

    The people who are going accept carbon tax are the real idiot’s.