What is Eco Rating?
Eco Rating is a newly introduced global system that evaluates the impact smartphones and feature phones make on our environment throughout the entire lifecycle of the device. It assesses the environmental impact of the entire process of production, transportation, use and disposal of mobile phones and produces an overall score that shows the impact the device has on the environment and society.
Mobile phone consumers are increasingly aware of how the device choices they make can contribute to minimising climate impact and lead to a more environmentally sustainable industry. Eco Rating aims to improve transparency and help raise awareness of the environmental impact of the phones we supply, and our customers choose.
- Helps customers to make informed and more sustainable choices when shopping
- Encourages suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of their devices
- Aligns the industry in improving transparency and reducing its environmental footprint
Within New Zealand, One NZ has introduced this initiative with the support of the TCF and other major New Zealand telecommunications companies in an industry wide approach.
How does it work?
The Eco Rating evaluation assesses devices’ different environmental indicators (e.g. carbon footprint or resource depletion) and material efficiency criteria, which results in an overall score on a scale from 1 to 100. The closer the score is to 100, the better the sustainability performance of the device.
The highest possible Eco Rating score is 100 for maximum environmental performance. The closer the score is to 100, the better the environmental performance of the device.
In addition, there are 5-sub-category scores for Durability, Repairability, Recyclability, Climate efficiency and Resource efficiency that show how each device performs in these specific areas.
What do I look for?
The Eco Rating label is easily recognisable and is designed to give consumers consistent, accurate information, helping them to identify and compare the most sustainable mobile phones. Each participating mobile operator will display the Eco Rating on device information at the point of sale.
Who is behind the Eco Rating initiative and what devices are included? View all participating operators here.