Popular gaming consoles including the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3 Elite (PS3), and Microsoft Xbox 360 continue to enthrall gamers but seem to have failed as green aka environmental-friendly electronics.
A Greenpeace report titled "Playing Dirty" reveals that all three consoles use hazardous chemicals/metals such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates, bromine, and beryllium. With minor differences in proportion, all three manufacturers have failed the Greenpeace green electronics test. All three game consoles tested positive for various hazardous chemicals; high levels of bromine were found in all of them with the highest levels found in the PS3 and the Wii respectively.
Xbox 360 and PS3 in particular, were found to contain very high levels of phthalates that aren't permitted for use in toys or childcare articles sold in the European Union (EU). One of the phthalates, DEHP, is even known to interfere with sexual development in mammals including humans, especially males.
Kevin Brigden of the Greenpeace Science Unit said that whether gaming consoles are classified as toys or not, they could still contain hazardous chemicals and materials. Brigden said that technology is now available for manufacturers to produce greener gaming consoles. All they need to do is consciously use it.
The report does mention though that each of the manufacturers is now taking care to avoid or reduce the use of hazardous substances in their gaming console components. However, the menace doesn't stop here. The report says gaming consoles also contribute towards the fastest-growing type of e-waste. Discarded gaming consoles often get dumped, ending-up in dirty recycling yards in developing countries, thus further contributing to the denigration of the environment.
Ah well its a good thing that the ps3 has an estimated 10 year life cycle....but i dont see how children would be endangered by these "toxic" materials.....
by Anonymous
from Shefiield
on 26/05/08 08:53 PM
Email
Print
