Regressive TV brand lobbying coalition killed off by Greenpeace ranking guide
It's common practice for big companies to use trade associations and coalitions (with innocent or even nice sounding names) to do lobbying for their vested interests over the public good. That way they can appear to keep their hands clean of any dodgy tactics.
We come across these lobby groups all the time. We've exposed the role of the car industry lobby in Europe recently but it's not often that we see them disappear due to our work. That's what happened last week with the demise of the US based "Electronic Manufacturers Coalition for Responsible Recycling".
Companies "for Responsible Recycling", now that sounds good doesn't it? In fact it really lobbied for the pubic to bear the cost of recycling so that could avoid responsibility for recycling their own old products. TV companies in particular often don't want to have to recycle their old TV's that are filled with toxic chemicals.
We first encountered it after the first version of our Guide to Greener Electronics was released in August 06. The US Computer Take Back Campaign tipped us off that many TV companies featured in the Guide were in the coalition that was actively lobbying in many US states against progressive e-waste recycling bills.
While global brands like Sony, Samsung and LG had publicly supported the principle of Individual Producer Responsibility they were at the same time paying the US coalition to lobby against producer responsibility. We informed the companies that they would be penalised for this double standard unless they changed the coalition position or left.
Samsung was the first to break ranks and leave in Jan 07. LG and Sony were penalised in the Guide in April and June last year but by September both had left the coalition. Sony not only left but also became the first major electronics maker to offer a US wide free takeback and recycling scheme for consumers.
In November 2007, Panasonic, Toshiba, Sharp and Phillips still supported the coalition that continued vigorous lobbying in the US. By March Toshiba had declared some support for Individual Producer Responsibility and left the coalition to avoid being penalised in the Guide. Last to jump ship was Panasonic, formerly one of the most active members, when threatened with a penalty point in upcoming September edition of the Guide.
Left with only a few members, the final straw appears to have been a fraudulent lobby letter. It was sent by Sharp Electronics US to the Massachusetts legislature last month, using letterhead featuring all the withdrawn companies' names, to lobby against a producer responsibility bill. When questioned about the letter Sharp Headquarters in Japan informed us that the collation was being completely disbanded.
This is great news and will hopefully increase the chances of progressive e-waste laws being introduced across the US. It also shows that consistently shining the harsh light of publicity on corporate lobbying, as we have been doing over the last two years with part of the Greener Electronics Guide, can make a big difference.
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Comments
This is a good step for the future. Companies can't be without control from people. Our children's must have a nice environment to live.
Thank you!
Posted by: Helen | August 15, 2008 12:04 PM