some major PC makers for backtracking on commitments to reduce hazardous substances in hardware.

Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Lenovo were among the companies pointed out by Greenpeace that failed to stick to commitments to eliminate hazardous substances like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from their products. The substances could be potentially damaging to the environment and human health.

The nonprofit reserved praise for companies like Acer, Toshiba and Apple. Apple was lauded for introducing a new line of computers that are "virtually free" of certain hazardous substances like PVC plastic and BFRs.

The details were pointed out in Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics, a guide that ranks IT companies based on their environmental and recycling efforts, as well as the power consumption and chemical content in their products.