EcoAct helps launch Eco Rating, a new consumer sustainability labelling for mobile phones

EcoAct, an Atos company, collaborates with Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, Telia Company and Vodafone on Eco Rating, a new consumer sustainability labelling for mobile phones

Now you can find out how sustainable your mobile phone is thanks to Eco Rating, a new labelling system recently initiated by EcoAct and five of Europe’s leading mobile operators, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, Telia Company and Vodafone. The Eco Rating label will help consumers identify and compare the most sustainable mobile phones and encourage manufacturers to reduce the environmental impact of their devices in terms of production, use, transport, and disposal.

As leader in international sustainability consultancy and project developer, EcoAct led the collaborative process to facilitate the development of Eco Rating and its path to be a global standard for all mobile devices.

What is Eco Rating?

Eco Rating evaluates the environmental impact of the entire process of production, transportation, use and disposal of mobile phones. Its aim is to empower customers to make informed and more sustainable choices and also to push suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of their devices

Eco Rating rates the environmental performance of mobile phones based on an objective assessment of both life cycle and circular economy indicators.  After a detailed assessment, each handset will be given an overall Eco Rating score out of a maximum of 100 points to signal the environmental performance of the device across its entire life cycle. The Eco Rating label will also highlight five key aspects of mobile device sustainability, providing additional information about durability, repairability, recyclability, climate efficiency and resource efficiency.

EcoAct co-ordinates pan-industry initiative

The coordination support provided by EcoAct spanned the definition of governance and communication protocols, through the management of calendars and budgets, to the creation of materials that facilitate working sessions and promote ideation and decision-making, all from a sustainable perspective.

The Eco Rating scores from the 16 mobile phone brands will be leveraged by EcoAct parent company, within the Atos Digital Decarbonization eXchange Platform (DDX) and will also be used as a new component of the Atos’ Digital Decarbonization assessments.

Jean-Philippe Poirault, EVP, Telecom, Media, Technology Industry, Atos said: “We’re happy to see that the Telecom industry shares our commitment to reduce their environmental footprint and propose solutions to reduce customers’ emissions. Our work engages our ecosystem in a virtuous circle of decarbonization, reinforcing Atos’ position as the leader for sustainability in digital services and technology.”

Helping customers making informed and more sustainable choices

The Eco Rating label is designed to be easily recognisable and will hopefully 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 point of sale.

We are all responsible for our impact on the planet and it is vital that, as a global community, we all take action. EcoAct believes Eco Rating works because it both helps customers make better choices and also pushes manufacturers to improve their products. “By coordinating the participating companies, spreading the word about the initiative, and promoting a collaborative process we hope to facilitate the label’s development.” Said Cristina Raventós, Director EcoAct Spain. “We are proud to be a part of this European project and to help Eco Rating becoming a global standard for all mobile devices”.

Full press release is available here