UL Environment is working to develop a new set of standards for mobile devices that will green up the industry worldwide. UL is an independent evaluator of products, ensuring they meet certain standards, and the new-ish environmental arm looks at issues such as materials sourcing, energy use, and recyclability. Considering we have some 5 billion cell phones on the planet right now, with more rolling off the manufacturing belts every day, and that they're used in nearly every corner of the world, holding electronics manufacturers to certain sustainability standards is an important step forward.
According to the release, the standard will consider the entire life cycle of cell phones, from raw material extraction to disposal. This means issues such as conflict minerals (minerals mined in conflict zones, which further fuels the wars) all the way to e-waste dumps will be addressed. So too will energy efficiency, using recycled materials in the making of the device, minimizing packaging waste, as well as the health and environment within manufacturing plants will be analyzed during evaluation.
Similar to EPEAT, the rankings will be listed as silver, gold and platinum. It's a smart idea because it unifies ranking systems and makes green products easier for consumers to identify. And of course, the easier it is for consumers to identify a green product, the more likely they are to take that into consideration when purchasing.
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