Here in the UK, O2 has been a seller of Apple’s iPhone for quite some time, and O2 UK has launched the first ever mobile phone green ranking system in the UK, which rates a handset from 0 to 5 based on its environmental footprint.

However, according to an article over on The Guardian, Apple has refused to allow their iPhone to be included in the new scheme although the likes of Samsung, Nokia and Sony Ericsson have already signed up. O2 UK says the new rating scheme will cover 93 percent of the devices used by their customers.

A spokeswoman for Apple declined to give a reason as to why Apple has blocked the inclusion of the iPhone, but did state they have their environmental reporting online; but then so do other smartphone makers such as Nokia.

Greenpeace International IT sector analyst Garry cook says…”Transparency is always an issue for consumer electronics companies, who claim that providing too much information gives away competitive advantage. But consumers also deserve to know the full story. While Apple has recently made important strides in eliminating toxic chemicals from its products and the reporting of their environmental footprint, it still lags behind others in transparency.”

Furthermore BlackBerry smartphone maker research In Motion has also agreed to take part in the O2 UK mobile phone green ranking system sometime next year.

The O2 UK scheme has been launched in partnership with Forum for the Future and scores mobile devices based on their eco impact of raw materials used, packaging, length of life, energy efficiency, easy of reuse and recycling and the manufacturing process.