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IPP Pilot Project on Mobile Phones

Please note that the reports presented throughout the pilot projects do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Commission.

Pilot Project Stakeholder Group

  • Mobile phone producers: Nokia, Motorola, Panasonic
  • Component manufacturers: Epson, Intel, AMD, Spansion
  • Governmental Organisations: UK Defra, European Commission
  • Research Institute: Finish Environmental Institute
  • Telecom Operators/Retailers: Teliasonera, France Telecom/Orange, Vodafone
  • Recyclers: Umicore
  • NGOs: WWF
  • Consumers: BEUC

Pilot Project Stages and reports

This pilot project is at its fifth stage. Stakeholders made commitments to improve the environmental impact of mobile phones. These Commitments are now being implemented.

First Stage:

The first stage of the pilot project involved selecting the stakeholders and analysing the environmental impact of mobile phones throughout their life cycle.

A draft report on the mobile phones' environmental impact throughout their life cycle was prepared by Nokia. The Commission invited stakeholders to comment on the report. The first meeting with the selected group of stakeholders, discussing the report and the comments received, took place on 17th of February 2005 (minutes of the meeting) (pdf~184K).

The report on the environmental impact of the mobile phones was revised taking into account the comments received. You can find the Final report prepared by Nokia here (pdf~1,5Mb).

Second Stage:

The second stage of the pilot project involved identifying options to improve the environmental impact of mobile phones on the basis of the report that was prepared at stage one of the pilot project.

A draft report on identifying options to improve the environmental impacts of mobile phones throughout their life cycle was prepared by Nokia including contributions from the selected stakeholders. The European Commission contributed with describing the policy tools possible to use for the greening of products. Please find this here (pdf~156K). The Commission invited stakeholders to comment on the report prepared by Nokia. The meeting with the selected group of stakeholders, discussing the report and the comments received, took place on 15 June 2005 (minutes of the meeting) (pdf~18Mb).

Following this, the report describing the different options to improve the environmental impacts of the mobile phones was finalised.

Third Stage:

The third stage of the pilot project aimed to evaluate the social and economic effects of the options improving the environmental impact of the mobile phones identified at the second stage of the pilot project. A stakeholder meeting with the selected group of stakeholders took place to discuss the report prepared for this stage on 7 December 2005 (minutes of the meeting). Following this, a final report was prepared by Nokia.

Fourth Stage:

In this stage stakeholders committed to take actions to reduce the environmental impact of the mobile phones in the key environmental areas. A stakeholder meeting was held on 3 May 2006 (minutes of the meeting). A final pilot project report describing the actions to be carried out by the stakeholders was prepared.

Fifth Stage:

In this stage stakeholders implement the commitments made to improve the environmental impact of the product in Stage 4 of the project. The European Commission will monitor the progress in a year's time (to be reported the second part of 2007).

Actions to green mobile phones

Stakeholders participating in the pilot project committed to carry out different initiatives to green the mobile phone market. This will be done by specific task forces that were formed within these stakeholders. However, any other interested stakeholders who are committed to contribute to the development of the different environmental initiatives on a voluntary basis are welcome to join the task forces. For this, please contact the task force leaders directly!

New Environmental Initiatives

Objectives

Task force leaders

Information and Communications
a) Product Environmental Facts & Communications

 

 


b) Usage and Disposal Information & Communications

This initiative aims to develop a product environmental information scheme for mobile phones including ways to communicate it to the consumers in the most effective way. The information scheme shall assist consumers in identifying products with good environmental performance and help them make environmentally sound choices while buying phones.

This initiative aims at developing and communicating information to consumers on environmentally sound practices during the use and end-of-life (EoL) phases of mobile phones to reduce environmental impacts.

Ms. Minna Lindholm (Nokia)

 


 

 


Ms. Sonia Metzger (France Telecom / Orange)

Reduce Energy Consumption (in Use Phase)

This initiative aims to develop and implement a suitable solution for adding reminders to phones to inform/advice consumers to unplug chargers from the wall after the phone is fully charged. It is estimated that if this measure leads to only 10% of the world’s mobile phone users not leaving their chargers on no-load, it would save enough energy to power 60 000 European homes for a year.

Mr. Olli-Pekka Mäkirintala (Nokia)

Reduce/Eliminate Agreed Materials of Concern

This action aims at reducing or eliminating the use of certain flame retardants, and phthalates in plastics in mobile phones.

Mr. Eelco Smit (Epson)

Take-back of Phones

This initiative aims to analyse, identify and share good practice incentives that drive consumer behaviour toward increased return of used/unwanted mobile phones, devices and batteries in a select number (to be determined) of different countries/markets. The initiative will also include piloting of selected ‘new’ incentives for the return of used/unwanted phones, devices and batteries and communication of the results from the pilot across industry with the intention of using new incentives, if successful, into existing return schemes where appropriate.

Mr. Chris Read and Ms Lucy Connell (Vodafone)

Environmental Assessment Methods /Tools

This initiative aims to further develop and standardise a practical eco-design approach/tool, like KEPIs, for use in industry for environmental assessments.

Mr. Jyri Seppälä (SYKE - Finnish Environmental Institute)

Following progress reports contain the updated reports from the different task forces, as well as their plans for the following three months: