May 23, 2008
Is the console market game for green?
The game-consoles market is one of the fastest-growing in consumer electronics, with more than 60 million sold and 14 percent growth last year, according to Datamonitor. Now the Greenpeace organization is releasing the results of a new investigation that shows these consoles not only contain hazardous chemicals, but also contribute to the fastest-growing type of waste — “e-waste.”
Discarded game consoles are often dumped and end up in unsafe and dirty recycling yards in developing countries, harming the environment and the health of workers.
The Greenpeace study, titled “Playing Dirty,” reveals that the next-generation game consoles like Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3 Elite and Microsoft Xbox 360 have all tested positive for hazardous chemicals. For example, high levels of bromine were found in the components of all three, with the highest by weight levels in the PS3 and the Wii. But the tests also showed that each of the manufacturers avoided or reduced the use of individual hazardous substances in certain materials within their consoles.
The good news is that greener consoles are possible, according to the report. My feeling is that a typical video game consumer is not likely to care that much about the toxins in landfills, but the companies making them will definitely want to make strides to rid their products of them, for the greater good.
