New green ICT standards tackle e-waste, energy efficiency

The experts also agreed on a standard for green batteries for smart phones and other handheld ICT devices. Additionally, experts have also agreed on a standardised methodology for manufacturers to report the quantity of rare metals contained in their ICT devices, something that will increase the efficiency of recycling schemes. Hamadoun I. Touré, Secretary General, […]

The experts also agreed on a standard for green batteries for smart phones and other handheld ICT devices.
Additionally, experts have also agreed on a standardised methodology for manufacturers to report the quantity of rare metals contained in their ICT devices, something that will increase the efficiency of recycling schemes.
Hamadoun I. Touré, Secretary General, ITU announced this in a statement at the weekend.
He said:  “Standardized solutions will be a key way to reduce e-waste, an increasingly intractable problem, particularly for the developing world. This fact is emphasised by last week’s report from the UN’s StEP initiative, which predicts a growth of 33 per cent in the global volume of electronic waste in the next four years.”
In addition to the charger standards, the ITU experts meeting in Lima, Peru, agreed on a new standard that defines a minimum set of parameters for green batteries that should reduce the future environmental impact of battery use, Toure said.