Environmental Record

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The improper discard of items such as computers, DVD players, and cell phones leads to e-waste within the environment.[1] Most e-waste is hazardous to the environment due to the fact that it often releases toxic materials, like lead and mercury, into soil and water. This drainage into soil and water can then lead to serous effects on people, animals, and plants.[2] Samsung, however, is making some positive impacts on the environment despite their production of materials that cause ewaste. They tied for first place in Greenpeace’s, an environmental protection organization, seventh edition of its Guide to Greener Electronics.[3] This guide takes factors into account such as chemical amounts used in the electronics and recycling programs conducted by the specific companies.[4] Samsung received 7.7 points out of ten points possible in this edition’s guide, keeping the company’s score mostly consistent for their steady policies and practices, but still bumping them up one spot from the last Guide to Greener Electronics edition.[5][6][7] In this issue, it was noted that Samsung is a company who focuses on ridding their products of toxic chemicals, but they did not gain their full points because they do not voluntarily take their users’ old products for disposal in every country.[8] In addition to this, Capstone Turbine Corporation, the top international clean technology manufacturer of microturbine energy systems, released that Samsung’s distributor in South Korea placed an order with their company, totaling $2.03 million.[9]Samsung ordered C65 Combined Heat and Power, C65, and Resource Recovery biogas MicroTurbine® systems.[10] The systems are said to provide better fuel efficiency, dependability, and other environmentally-friendly improvements.[11]

  1. ^ http://www.thejournalok.com/atf.php?sid=12418 The Journal May 1, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2008
  2. ^ http://www.thejournalok.com/atf.php?sid=12418 The Journal May 1, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2008
  3. ^ http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144482-c,recycling/article.html PC World April 12, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008
  4. ^ http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144482-c,recycling/article.html PC World April 12, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008
  5. ^ http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144482-c,recycling/article.html PC World April 12, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008
  6. ^ http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144482-c,recycling/article.html PC World April 12, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008
  7. ^ http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23537853-5013037,00.html Australian IT April 15, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008.
  8. ^ http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144482-c,recycling/article.html PC World April 12, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008
  9. ^ http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080410005247&newsLang=en Business Wire April 10, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008
  10. ^ http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080410005247&newsLang=en Business Wire April 10, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008
  11. ^ http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080410005247&newsLang=en Business Wire April 10, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008