This blog is by Sandra Boone, Communications Associate for the BlueGreen Alliance.

I don’t know about you, but every time I have to renew my cell phone contract I get overwhelmed. Minutes… data plans… overage fees… All of these numbers start spinning in my head, and I can lose sight of other important questions like the environmental impact of the product I’m holding in my hand.

AT&T is trying to help answer that last item by launching an “Eco Ratings” scale (appearing in-stores for the first time today).

According to the company, this new rating system will allow customers to understand a product’s environmental impact by giving them a “simply, easy to read-and-understand label” that scores products based on the following criteria:

1. Hazardous Substances

• Restriction of lead, cadmium, and mercury in the battery
• RoHS Compliance/Restriction of BFR, PVH, chlorine compounds
• Restriction of extractable nickel
• Restriction of antimony trioxide/antimony compounds, beryllium compounds

2. Environmentally-Preferable Materials

• Meets AT&T ratings system environmentally preferable packaging criteria
• Amount of PCW plastic
• Percentage of recycled metals

3. Product Energy Efficiency

• GSMA/OMTP Universal Charging Solution, Meets no-load consumption
• Energy efficiency features; Full charge notification/power management

4. End of life/Product Take-Back

• Battery removability and phone disassembly
• Mobile device recyclability rate
• Provision of recycling information and promotion on the phone and or packaging

5. Environmentally Responsible Manufacturing

• ISO 14001 or EMAS
• GHG emissions reduction targets and public reporting of performance against targets
• Sustainability reporting

Well, that’s one question down. Now, how likely is it that I'll drop this phone in water?