ECO rating — At Vodafone
Environmental Assessment (Eco-Rating) - At Vodafone, our goal is to build a digital society that enhances economic and social progress, provides support for everyone, and ensures we achieve this without imposing costs on our planet.
To raise awareness among our customers about being environmentally responsible, Vodafone—together with all other operators in Europe—introduces Eco-Rating, a harmonized scoring system to evaluate the environmental performance of mobile devices when customers choose to buy in Vodafone stores or online.
Eco-Rating assesses the impact of smartphones and their features on our environment throughout their entire lifecycle. It consists of an overall rating that is easy to access. Devices with the highest rating (from 1 to 100) are the most sustainable and least harmful to our environment.
In addition to the overall rating, a detailed assessment of the device will also be displayed, tailored to specific customer interests. The detailed rating includes durability, repairability, and climate efficiency of the device.
Durability in this case indicates the expected guaranteed lifespan of the device, battery life, and other components.
The possibility of simple repairs and the duration of software updates from the manufacturer are reflected in the repairability rating. Climate efficiency considers a wide range of factors, such as raw materials, device production using recycled plastic, use of minerals and metals, and the avoidance of unnecessary items in the box (such as plastic, chargers).
Rating System
Eco Rating is a harmonized scoring system for evaluating the environmental performance of mobile devices.
The environmental impact and sustainability of devices are assessed through a comprehensive process that includes evaluating the raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, usage, and disposal of the devices at the end of their lifecycle.
Eco-Rating Methodology
The Eco-Rating method enables the evaluation of mobile devices from a new perspective—an environmental one. This method presents a unique assessment that reflects the environmental performance of the device throughout its entire lifecycle.
The Eco-Rating system uses input information provided by manufacturers about the mobile devices they design and produce.
This information serves to evaluate the environmental performance of the devices. The assessment is carried out by combining 13 different environmental indicators and 6 material efficiency criteria to arrive at a single rating for each analyzed mobile device.
We have taken care to develop our methodology based on knowledge and the best industry practices, gathered from various environmental rating systems.
Vodafone operates by maintaining relevant standards and complying with international directives, such as EU directives, ITU-T, ETSI, ISO standards, and by introducing new parameters when necessary.
Raw materials
This is the first phase that includes all implications of the resources used. Examples of raw materials include: gold needed for connectors, lithium for batteries, minerals for the outer casing (cover), silicon for the integrated circuit, and other rare materials for the screen. The more recyclable materials used—and the fewer rare and non-recyclable materials—the higher the environmental rating (Eco-Rating).
Manufacturing
Production is the phase in which the various components of the mobile device are manufactured and assembled to bring the product to its final stage. This process includes packaging (plastic) and accessories (charger, cable).
The main components produced for a mobile device are the electronic circuit, battery, screen, touch panel, antenna, camera, and casing (outer shell). Eco-Rating measures the impact of this phase on our environment by taking into account carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption, and many other environmental factors.
Transport
Once the mobile device is assembled, it is shipped from the manufacturing location to its designated destination.
Distance and type of transportation (sea/air) are taken into consideration, and their environmental impact is carefully assessed (for example, carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere).
Usage and Spare parts
In the following phase, the customer takes ownership of the mobile device and uses it for several years.
In this phase, the device’s positive environmental impact is assessed, such as durability, ability to be updated via software, and repairability, as well as implications like energy consumption/charging.
The end of the mobile device’s lifecycle
In the final phase of the mobile device’s lifecycle, environmental aspects related to pollution are taken into consideration, such as when the device is discarded as waste. This phase evaluates how easily the mobile device can be refurbished or how recyclable its component parts are, whether metal or plastic.