An article by Harry Baldock, published by Total Telecom, reports that mobile devices will be rated in Europe under five categories, in relation to sustainability. An initiative by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, Telia Company and Vodafone seeks to define how sustainable a smartphone is, introducing ecological classification labels that will be based on five categories: durability, repairability, resource efficiency, recyclability and climate efficiency. All five will form part of a more detailed assessment of each device and this will result in an overall eco rating of 100. Where applicable, the categories will take into consideration the life cycle of the phone, providing accurate information at retail on the environmental impact of the production, use, transport and disposal of the devices.
The green rating scheme will be rolled out in 24 countries in Europe from June and will initially cover mobile phones from 12 vendors, including Huawei, Samsung and Xiaomi. The expectation is that others will join as the system evolves.
With demand for mobile devices increasing, this green rating is expected to drive manufacturers and operators to compete to make their supply chains more sustainable, collaborating to inform consumers about the environmental costs of the devices they buy and use.