It seemed to me that back in the early 90s when digital was first starting out companies like Kodak were touting digital as more environmentally friendly, that's why they were heading that direction. They even changed their name to Kodak Imaging, I think.

Also companies were having EPA issues and moving plants to Mexico and eastern bloc countries where environmental rules were lax.

So for a fact the chemicals were a problem.

But obviously with digital, built in obsolescence, and the chemical issues with digital components, I doubt a move over to digital helped the ecology much.

All chemical manufacturing corporations can be ecological if they choose to, but most will just move their pollution to places where they aren't monitored.