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Apple has refused to allow the iPhone to be included in the UK’s first environmental rating system for mobile phones.
The scheme was launched today by O2, in conjuction with environmental oganisation Forum for the Future.
Nokia, Sony Ericsson, HTC, LG, Samsung and Palm all signed up to take part, but Apple is noticeably absent. According to The Guardian, an Apple spokeswoman would not comment on why the firm was not involved in the scheme, which gives handsets a score of five according to how green they are.
Factors considered in the rankings include the raw materials used, the environmental impact of the manufacturing process, packaging, longevity, energy efficiency and how easy devices are to reuse or recycle.
Sony Ericsson’s Elm handset came top of the list of 65 mobile phones, achieving a score of 4.3 out of 5.
Peter Madden, chief executive of Forum for the Future, said: “Billions of people worldwide are using mobile phones to organise their lives. We want to reward manufacturers who make efforts to reduce their environmental impacts and think creatively about how their devices can contribute to a better world.”
