26.06.2012

First in Armenia Orange implements eco-labeling for mobile phones

Orange and WWF start strategic partnership for the sake of Armenian nature

Today Orange and WWF-Armenia announced the launch of a long-term strategic partnership. In the frames of this partnership the handsets and smartphones sold in Orange Armenia shops and through eshop.orangearmenia.am from here on will have eco-labling showing environmental impact of handsets in manufacturing process or in respect of used materials. Eco-rating of handsets is done according to 1-5 rating scale. The higher the eco-rating, the less harmful the handset is for the environment. Eco-rating methodology has been developed by Orange with the support of the BIO Intelligence Service and of the World Wide Fund for Nature. In Orange footprint this methodology has already been introduced in France, Spain and Romania. It is the first time that eco-rating is applied in Armenia. It will enable customers not only to refer to functionalities and parameters of handsets when choosing a handset. It will allow customers to be more responsible in their choice and, why not, encourage handset manufacturers to be environmentally more responsible.

“As a responsible company we are happy to provide knowledge and a possibility to our Armenian customers for them to be environmentally responsible as well. In its field WWF is, indeed, one of the most influencial organizations worldwide and we are happy to have especially this organization as our partner for environmental projects, in order to introduce the culture of a responsible consumer which is quite a new thing in Armenia,” said Bruno Duthoit, Orange Armenia CEO. “Environmental responsibility lays at the basis of France Telecom Group’s corporate values and such values guide our activity in Armenia as well”.

Moreover, in the frames of Orange and WWF partnership Orange Armenia will also contribute to the environmental activity of WWF by donating 1% of amounts from sale of handsets and smartphones that will be directed to preservation of endangered species in the country and the promotion and development of eco-tourism.

“WWF has a worldwide experience of working with businesses in different domains, and this cooperation with Orange is quite an important one for WWf Armenia. Orange has proven its responsible attitude towards nature in many other European countries. This kind of cooperation in Armenia can be a good stimulus for promoting «green economy» values and principles in our country and making other businesses ecologically more responsible” said Karen Manvelyan, WWF-Armenia Director.

About Eco-Labeling

Three indicators are used to determine the overall eco-rating of a mobile phone:

• the limitation of CO2 measures the amount of greenhouse gases emitted at key stages of product life cycle: manufacturing, transportation, use and recycling
• preservation of natural resources measures the amount of non-renewable materials (gold, silver and tin) in the product composition
• eco-friendly design enhances other initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of the product as the limited use of hazardous substances (chemical compounds which, under unfavorable conditions of use or recycling, could pose a risk to humans or the environment), traceability of sensitive resources (gold, silver, tin, tantalum), the possibilities of repairing the product, the use of recycled materials.