A couple of Orange County companies are among those ranked on the “green” electronic scale (PDF), updated today by Greenpeace.

• Toshiba climbed up the ranking this time, from tenth to sixth by “making commitments to phase out vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants from its entire product range by 2009 and improving on its reporting of the quantities of old products it recycles.”

• Acer dropped one place to 12th position because it “scores top marks on chemicals but has yet to start selling products free of PVC and brominated flame retardants.”

The scale is Greenpeace’s way of urging technology makers to solve the problems caused when harmful chemicals (such as vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants) leach out into soil after being trashed. The guide ranks companies according to their “policies and practices on toxic chemicals and takeback.”

“Companies shouldn’t be under any illusions that we won’t check up on their claims of green greatness,” said Iza Kruszewska, toxics campaigner at Greenpeace International.

The lowest-ranked company (earning 0/10) was Nintendo which Greenpeace says “completely fails to show any environmental credentials.” The highest-ranked company was Sony Ericsson that moved up from second to first. That company earned praise for “improving its reporting of quantities of old mobile phones being recycled,” making all new mobile phones (since 2006) from non-vinyl plastic, and eliminating brominated flame retardants and other toxic chemicals.

Of the two computing giants, Microsoft earned 16th because of banning some chemicals by 2011 and Apple moved up one place to 11th while reducing some toxic chemical use – with full bans planned by 2008′s end.

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