Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has partnered with Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., to develop the first RoHS (Restriction on Hazardous Substance) laptop available in the U.S. retail channel.
RoHS is an environmental directive adopted by the European Parliament that will become effective on July 1, 2006 in European markets. The directive restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.
Although there is no requirement in the United States for manufacturers to achieve the RoHS standard, Wal-Mart has chosen to restrict the quantities of hazardous substances in their products, including lead, cadmium, mercury and other substances identified by the RoHS directive. The Toshiba laptop is the first of such efforts. All personal computers sold at Wal-Mart will meet the RoHS standard by July 2006.
“Wal-Mart is bringing best practices to the U.S. for the betterment of the environment and our communities. Partnering with Toshiba to make this product available in the U.S. is the first of many upcoming initiatives and demonstrates our commitment to working with our suppliers to find innovative ways to protect our customers and the world we live in,” said John Kooy, Wal-Mart’s vice president of electronics.
According to Green Star, a non-profit organization that encourages businesses to practice waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention, each computer or television that is discarded contains 4 to 8 pounds of lead. Due to this, consumer electronics constitute 40% of the lead found in landfills.
“The launch of an RoHS-compatible notebook computer sold through the world’s largest retailer is part of Toshiba’s overall commitment to the environment,” said Jeff Barney, vice president of marketing, Digital Products Division (DPD), Toshiba America Information Systems. “Toshiba DPD believes strongly in ensuring all our notebooks are compatible with the RoHS standard.”
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