High-tech companies may talk the talk when it comes to green, but when it comes to prioritizing supply chain goals, sustainability ranks low on companies' “to do” list. A survey conducted by {complink 7014|IDC} and UPS ranks sustainability as a top priority for only 19 percent of the high-tech companies surveyed. IDC's Simon Ellis wrote…
The search for renewable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly energy is taking European energy companies to Africa. Apparently, just the desert section of the region — once derided as the Dark Continent — receives enough light from the sun on a single day to power the entire world's electricity need for an entire year. But delivering…
A just-released report by the US Department of Energy (DOE) reinforces what many in the electronics industry already know: The global supply of rare-earth elements (REEs) largely depends on how China decides to manage the materials, because the most viable sources of REEs lie within China's borders. (See: The Truth About Rare Earths, Part 2…
MALVERN, Pa. — Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE: VSH) today announced that its manufacturing operations in suburban Manila have received three awards for environmental and safety performance from the Philippine government in 2010. They include a Certificate of Recognition for environmental performance from the Office of the President and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources;…
Automotive is an important market for semiconductor vendors. In turn, the chip industry has enabled car manufacturers to make major improvements in safety and performance — and move toward more environmentally friendly vehicles. Even though the number of vehicles manufactured grows by low single digits, the amount of electronics per vehicle keeps increasing. In 2008…
The smart grid — like the smart home — is another great technology idea left hanging in limbo. Until a smart grid standard is established and implemented, buying or building a smart anything could be an exercise in incompatibility. Still, according to {complink 8879|IMS Research}, {complink 8019|General Electric Co.} plans to begin shipping smart washers…
TAMPA, Fla. — Sims Recycling Solutions, the world’s largest electronics recycler is pleased to announce that their the two facilities in Tampa, FL have become the fifth and sixth Sims Recycling Solutions facilities in the United States to achieve OHSAS 18001 certification. OHSAS 18001 is an international occupational health and safety management system standard to…
Environmental compliance is taking its toll on the electronics industry, and not just in terms of paperwork. Replacing one substance with another is not going to continue to work in high-tech manufacturing, experts believe. Instead of reacting to the next banned substance, the industry should reconsider its entire approach to design and production. Finding an…
What environmental (and social) performance-related requirements can the electronics industry expect from regulators, NGOs, and competitors in 2011? Here’s both what we at {complink 12808|Design Chain Associates LLC (DCA)} know, and what we guess, will happen: Two more lists of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) from the European Union that you will have to…
TORONTO and SINGAPORE — SunEdison, a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. (NYSE: WFR), announced today that its affiliate, MEMC Singapore, is partnering with Flextronics (NASDAQ: FLEX), a multi-billion dollar electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, to produce solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at Flextronics’ facility in Newmarket, Ontario. Located in York Region, production of the solar…