In Greenpeace’s recently released quarterly Guide to Greener Electronics, iPod and iPhone manufacturer, Apple has jumped to a highly respectable 5th place from 9th last October.

The Guide to Greener Electronics Guide ranks 18 global electronics companies for the environmental impact of their products including their take back schemes, initiatives to reduce climate impact and their use of toxic materials in products.

This quarter, Greenpeace also featured a new rating system in their guide which Apple have earned four stars for completely eliminating toxic and hazardous materials from their product line, unlike many of their competitors.

Several other electronics manufacturers including Sharp, Sony and Samsung dropped their rank this quarter in the Greenpeace Guide.

The top five consumer electronics companies in the latest ranking were Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, Philips and Apple. Of all companies assessed, Nintendo still remains the worst performing.

The full Greenpeace report and rankings can be found here