Greenpeace Netherlands this morning blocked the entrance to the Dutch office of Hewlett Packard in Utrecht with a wall of over a thousand old HP computers. The campaigning organisation says HP still uses flame-retardant TBBA (aka tetrabromobisphenol-A), in printed circuit boards and covers for components.

While other companies such as Samsung, Puma and H&M have reportedly removed all hazardous materials from their products, HP so far hasn’t been willing to do so. Although there are many environmentally friendly flame retardants available, HP PCs still contains up to twenty per cent of TBBA, according to Greenpeace. In the event of a fire, TBBA releases fewer toxic gases than other chemicals, but Greenpeace says it is still only a half-hearted alternative.

The blockade followed breakdown of negotiations with HP over the TBBA issue, Greenpeace says. ®

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