NEW YORK:Consumer electronics - such as iPods, DVD players and mobile phones - are among the most lucrative products on the planet.

However, many of the have a number of questionable failings, such as the high disposability rate and power-hungry LED and LCD screens.

Next month, the question of environmental responsibility will be put to industry leaders, entrepreneurs, journalists and designers in New York at the first "greening the gadget" conference organised by online design magazine Inhabitat.com and Marc Alt and Partners, a design and branding agency that focuses on sustainable innovation.

A major impetus to the conference is the new green policy of US superstore Wal-Mart, which plans to eliminte 30 per cent of the energy used in stores, reduce solid waste by 25 per cent per cent and invest $500 million in sustainability projects over the next three years.

The consumer electronics industry is estimated to be worth €102.3 billion annually.