The report, which ranks companies on their policies regarding chemicals and waste, gave the Beijing-based company top marks for its handling of discarded electronic products, known as "e-waste".

It praised the company for offering recycling and other waste disposal avenues in all the countries where its products are sold and for reporting the amount of e-waste it recycles as a percentage of its sales.

"Given the growing mountains of e-waste in China -- both imported and domestically generated -- it is heartening to see a Chinese company taking the lead, and assuming responsibility at least for its own branded waste," Iza Kruszewska, Greenpeace International Toxics Campaigner, said.

The report noted however, that Lenovo, which bought IBM's consumer electronics division in 2005, has yet to put on the market products that are free of the worst chemicals.

"The challenge for the industry now is to see who will actually place greener products on the market," Kruszewska said.

The report said overall scores have improved for the industry since the last rankings came out in December 2006.

The other companies in the top five were Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Dell, and Samsung.

The report criticised Sony and LG Electronics for opposing producer responsibility laws in the United States and for calling for consumers, instead of producers, to pay for the recycling of e-waste.

It said 14th-ranked Apple kept its hold on the bottom spot it has occupied since the report's launch in August 2006.

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