Apple refuses to join O2 green ranking, LG and Palm shamed
O2 will publish a green rating for phones on its website and in stores, which gives you the chance to choose a phone to buy based on how friendly to the environment it is
O2 has produced a list of the most eco-friendly mobile phones, in which LG performed badly, while Apple did not take part.
Based on data given by manufacturers, O2 has given the LG GW520 the joint worst eco rating, with a score of 2.7 out of 5. Incidentally, it did pretty badly in our review too.
Matching it for environmental unfriendliness was the Palm Pre+, also with a rating of 2.7 out of 5. But of the worst 10 phones in the green ranking, LG took six places.
One big phone manufacturer missing from the green ranking was Apple. The Guardian queried the firm about why it decided not to take part, but it declined to comment, pointing towards its own environmental reports.
The big winner in the green ranking was Sony Ericsson. The Sony Ericsson Elm was found to be the eco rating's best scoring phone with 4.3 out of 5.The company had five phones in the top 10 - the Elm, Zylo, Xperia x10 mini pro, Xperia x10 mini and the Vivaz Pro.
Nokia also did well, with the 6700 Slide, C7, 1800 and E500 in the top 10. Samsung also took a place in the top 10 with the Wave GT-S8500.
The score is supposed to reflect the environmental impact of a mobile phone, how it helps people lead sustainable lives, and the ethical performance of the manufacturer.
It's based on data given by the manufacturers, looking at a phone's overall environmental impact, the raw material it uses, impact caused by its manufacture, packaging, longevity, energy efficiency and how long it takes to recycle.
O2 will publish the ratings on its website and in stores, and said that it could be used by those of you who have the environment in mind when you go shopping for a phone.
"We know that sustainability is important for many of our customers and for the first time they will have the whole picture from which to make a full and balanced purchasing decision,” said Ronan Dunne, O2’s UK Chief Exec.
Below is the full, long list O2 has sent us with all the phones in. Have a look and see where yours appears. What do you think of Apple's decision not to join O2's green ranking? And does a green ranking make a difference to whether you buy a phone or not? Tell us in the comments below.
