Greenpeace says Wii is “Playing Dirty”
Posted: May 21, 2008 by Wiispace
A recently released report by Greenpeace says that the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PS3 all contain hazardous chemicals.
From the Report:
The use of hazardous chemicals and materials in electronic products is widespread. Despite some recent improvements – a result of a combination of legal restrictions in some parts of the world, and voluntary action by companies – many devices still contain a variety of hazardous substances.
All three consoles included PVC-based materials containing other types of plasticiser chemicals, principally a mellitate and various adipates, at apparently high levels in some instances. The use of these substances provides flexibility to the materials without the use of phthalates, but raises similar concerns regarding the potential for resulting exposure to, and toxicity of, these leachable chemical additives. Rather than providing reassurance, therefore, their presence highlights the reliance on leachable additives that stems from the use of PVC as a material and the value in replacing PVC with polymers that do not require the use of such additives.
The report says that Microsoft says they will eliminate the use of PVC and BFRs in its game systems by 2010. Sony has committed to stop using PVC and BFRs by 2010, but only for it’s handheld PSP system, not the PS3 and other consoles. Nintendo has recently committed to not using PVC in its products as well, although not timeline was given for their plans.
[via hexus.net]
