meganprusynski

Green My Apple

By Megan Prusynski • January 26, 2007

Editor's note: Megan Prusynski, GO's newest team member, is a professional graphic designer and a very prolific blogger. She'll be covering design, art and culture for us. We're happy to welcome her aboard!

Apple computers have been staples for the graphic design industry since they arrived in the early 1980s. The company prides itself on its innovative technology, attention to detail, and good design. Designers like myself are often unapologetically obsessive about their Apple computers.

But as I type this on my Apple PowerBook, I feel a bit guilty for being such an Apple addict. Why? Because they are pretty far from a green company. In fact, according to Greenpeace, Apple is one of the worst computer and electronics companies out there in terms of sustainability.

This is why Greenpeace has launched a campaign called Green My Apple that challenges Apple to clean up its act. Greenpeace says:

We love Apple. Apple knows more about "clean" design than anybody, right? So why do Macs, iPods, iBooks and the rest of their product range contain hazardous substances that other companies have agreed to abandon? A cutting edge company shouldn't be cutting lives short by exposing children in China and India to dangerous chemicals. That's why we Apple fans need to demand a new, cool product: a greener Apple.

Apple computers contain an array of toxic chemicals, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and poisonous flame retardants. When computer components are tossed, they usually end up in developing-world countries like China, where poverty-stricken people pick through piles of electronic equipment to salvage parts. These people are then exposed to the toxic chemicals, not to mention what these toxins do to the environment. Apple also lacks a take-back program that many leading computer and electronics companies are now implementing, and since their products have a short lifespan, many of them end up as garbage instead of being safely disassembled, recycled, or reused.

So, I hope my fellow Apple aficionados will write to Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, and let him know that you want Apple to be a leader in green design and an innovator in sustainable electronics. If anyone can do it, Apple can.

Link: Greenpeace "Green My Apple" Campaign

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Tags: Apple, Big Business, computers, Computers and Internet, Graphic Design, Green Tech, green+tech, greenmyapple

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3 Responses to “Green My Apple”

1. Michael Heinz Says:
   January 26th, 2007 at 7:28 pm

   Have been shown to be pretty much bunk. Apple has a much better environmental record than many other PC manufacturers. In fact, according to the EPA itself, Apple is the greenest notebook manufacturer.

    http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/1/6/6507

    http://www.epeat.net/SearchResults.aspx?ProductType=0&model=Apple&modelsearchtype=1&rating=1

    I used to have a lot of respect for greenpeace but this apparently has more to do with trying to scare Apple into donating money to Greenpeace than it does with the actual environmental impact of their operations.

2. Megan Prusynski Says:
   January 26th, 2007 at 9:52 pm

   I wasn't aware that Apple was considered green by the EPA, and have since found out about the varying environmental ratings Apple has been given. But honestly, under the current leadership, I'm not sure the EPA is really up to date on this issue… 

   Anyway, thanks for getting some discussion started. Your comment led me to do some other research on Apple and their environmental record. They recently began doing a computer take-back program in the US, but I think Greenpeace has some valid points. For one, they are poised as an innovative leader in the industry, so why shouldn't their sustainability policy be top of the line as well? They still have some improvements to make, like banning toxic chemicals and materials from their products. Dell has been better in this area. Apple's Web site lists products that are PVC free: 

   The following Apple products contain no polyvinyl chloride: Airport Extreme Card, Apple Product Packaging, Apple Remote, iPod Camera Adapter, iPod nano Dock, iPod shuffle External Battery Pack, iPod Universal Dock

   Ok, so that's 7 things. I'd like to see them move on to remove PVC from ALL their products, and have a system in place to take back and safely recycle their old products that contain PVC. Hopefully if one company makes this a priority, the rest of the industry will follow suit.

   Apple's recycling/reusing/takeback policy for their older products leaves much to be desired. Replacing batteries in older iPods, for instance, is difficult and expensive, and their constant stream of "new & improved" products leads to consumers replacing their electronics far more often than necessary. 

   Thank you for pointing out that Apple is making strides. They do have an environmental policy in place. Perhaps Greenpeace should focus more on the entire industry rather than singling out Apple, but calling out a leader in the industry can certainly have a ripple effect. I'm not sure why you'd think that Greenpeace is "trying to scare Apple into donating money to Greenpeace" though, do you have a source to back that up? 

   Here's some more information about Apple's environmental record and progress: 

   - Responsible Shopper Profile from Co-op America: http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/rs/profile.cfm?id=186 

   -Apple's Environmental Policy: http://www.apple.com/environment/

   ~Megan Prusynski

   my site | volksvegan adventures | unplug

3. Mark Ontkush Says:
   January 27th, 2007 at 11:06 am

   Hi Megan,

   I would have to agree with Michael. Apple is not perfect, I think we all agree on that one. But the fact that GP is singling them out is not the way to introduce green electronics across the industry. Identifying them as the leader in the industry just confuses matters - under such circumstances, what incentive is there for any other vendor besides Apple to participate in the GP ranking system? After all, they aren't the industry leader…

   http://ecoiron.blogspot.com/2007/01/greenpeace-and-epeat.html#links

   http://ecoiron.blogspot.com/2007/01/no-peace-for-greenpeace.html#links

   EPEAT is really the standard and that is the one that vendors will support. In fact, President Bush just signed an executive order stating that all new federal governement purchases must be EPEAT certified.

   http://ecoiron.blogspot.com/2007/01/feds-knocks-em-into-tomorrah.html#links

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