“Greenpeace International placed Apple Inc. last in its rankings of major electronics makers for their environmental friendliness, while Chinese manufacturer Lenovo Group Ltd. jumped to the top of the list,” Toby Sterling reports for The Associated Press.
“An Apple spokeswoman said the company rejects Greenpeace’s ranking system and that its products are among the ‘greenest’ on the market, pointing to more technical ratings used by the Green Electronics Council,” Sterling reports. “‘We disagree with Greenpeace’s rating and the criteria they chose,’ Apple spokeswoman Sheryl Seitz said, reading a prepared statement. ‘Apple has a strong environmental track record and has led the industry in restricting and banning toxic substances such as mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium, as well as many BFRs (brominated flame retardants).'”
Sterling reports, “According to standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., Apple products are not especially toxic.”
“The Green Electronics Council, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, runs a web site that allows buyers to judge products on a score comprised of 23 different categories established by the IEE, including the materials used, energy conservation and packaging. Apple scored generally better than Lenovo and Dell,” Sterling reports.
“All of the computer companies in Greenpeace’s study had failed to eliminate BPRs and toxic vinyl plastics, though some of the phone makers did,” Sterling reports. “In addition, Greenpeace’s study didn’t take into account that in terms of quantity, Apple produces less toxic waste than larger competitors.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We’re all for a cleaner environment, but Apple ought to charge Greenpeace a PR fee. Mostly, Apple is guilty of being a very a popular brand name which these militant “environmentalists” use to generate free publicity.
Apple doesn’t sell dirty CRT monitors, like certain cheapo Windows-centric PC box assemblers. Apple uses rechargeable batteries in iPods, instead of having tens of millions of users constantly tossing AA batteries into landfills. Apple even offers purchasers of Apple Macs and Apple monitors free recycling of their old computer and monitor — regardless of manufacturer. The list goes on.
Information on Apple’s recycling programs and industry-leading environmental policies is available online at http://www.apple.com/environment
Related articles:
EPA does not support Greenpeace’s charges against Apple Computer – January 07, 2007
Apple places last in Greenpeace ‘Guide to Greener Electronics’ report – December 07, 2006
Mac Expo evicts Greenpeace campaigners – October 26, 2006
Is Greenpeace lying about Apple’s ‘toxic laptops?’ – September 25, 2006
What kind of green are ‘environmental extortionists’ really after? – September 06, 2006
Greenpeace ‘Guide to Greener Electronics’ report called ‘misleading and incompetent’ – September 02, 2006
Greenpeace criticizes Apple over toxic waste – August 29, 2006
Apple offers free computer take-back recycling program – April 21, 2006
Defiant Steve Jobs calls environmentalists’ claims ‘B.S.’ – April 22, 2005
Last in Greenpeace bend over-ness is more like it.
Greenpeace is a pile…
Well, I’ve lost all respect for Greenpeace. They should rename themselves Greenfraud. And, I’ve worked pro-bono for Conservation International, so, I can treehug with the best of them.
Obviously this jackass didn’t see this article from BusinessWeek:
Is Greenpeace Off the Mark on Apple?
Even the mainstream press knows Greenpeace is a bunch of glory seeking liars!
It is about time Apple cleaned its environmental record up – pretty embarrasing for Al Gore…
Ranked dead last by Greenpeace? I’ll take two!
I lost my respect for Greenpeace many years ago, when I realised that they preferred media-shout hysteria to cool and accurate presentation of the facts.
I can’t believe I used to pimp for these environmentalist strongarm scumbag whackos when I was younger.
Youth is truly wasted on the young.
Most other serious environmental organizations dislike Greenpeace intensly, because they’ve always gone in for cheap publicity tricks in order to boost their membership and donations.
This has been the case since the 1990’s, and, here in Germany, they’ve even been the subject of critical, investigative reporting – both on television and in the influential magazine ‘Der Spiegel’.
Al,
What’s going on here? Did you show Greenpeace your new movie?
Apple’s Board Member Al Gore + Al Gore’s Movie = Saving the Planet
What else does Greenpeace want! This just makes me want to take my old G4 tower and toss it into the local dump yard.
WMD
Used to support Greenpeace big time but over the last decade they have become far too silly. Like so many organizations who were once relevant, they’ve lost there focus and relvance. Look at the Sierra Club, primarily an organization comprised of D.I.N.K.s needing a tax write off. They’ve all jumped the shark or dolphin or tuna …
Hey Greenfleece, get out of the way and let businesses lead!
Communist, anti-capitalist, trust fund, dope head, tax-increasing, big government, teat-suckers.
Apple forever!
MDN, you forgot to mention the iPod Recycling Program.
Yes, it’s a way to force people to buy batteries through Apple, but it also forces the use to recycle.
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i saw an ad for greenpeace on the bbc, it was rather desaturated though.
After enquiring into the matter, their official response was that ‘we like things grey, with very little colour, as it matches the weather’.
Perhaps it would be wise for those of us that are on the left side of the fence, yet disagree with Greenpeace’s stance and tactics, to write letters calling for them to review their information on this.
This report brought to you by: Microsoft. Your Potential, our Hush Money.
Can I also point out that the amount of material that the ipod replaces in terms of cds, cassettes, having 3 big components of a stereo system full of exactly what GP is b****ing about, etc. Someone with an ipod and a couputer to store and present their media is using a tiny tiny fraction of what conventional media users use
Here’s Green Electronics Council “EPEAT” assessment system.
http://www.epeat.net/
Almost Apple products are rated very highly, and most are rated higher than all major PC makers.
Greenpeace is doing a reasonable job of getting “the word” out there. Unfortunately … well, they remind me of so many Mac Fanatics in their approach to the problem! Scream as loud as possible and incite controversy, maybe someone will listen. “My truth is the ONLY truth”, and all that. Except, it isn’t true. I’ve been a Mac Advocate for many years, but never a Mac Fanatic. Which may be why my calmer, saner messages are often read while those of the Fanatics are typically just dumped.
Ignore them, they won’t go away in either case. Apple will continue to improve … as long as Gore is on the Board.
DLMeyer – the Voice of G.L.Horton’s Stage Page
MW: society … how apt
And I rank Greenpeace dead last in mental capacity. In other words…who gives a sh*t what these idiots think.
As for Al Gore, his own personal environmental record is awful, so Apple should be the last thing that hypocrite needs to worry about….
Yarin,
You can’t be serious. Let businesses lead? Go watch the doc “Who Killed the Electric Car?” and then shoot yourself in the head. Go watch documentaries on the state meat industry. Makes you seriously want to vegan.
Sure Greenpeace has lost a lot of credibility with their tactics, but their message still needs to heard until we have a serious change in paradigm in North America, which will need the help of busineess, all environmental groups, religions, etc.
Greenpeace Report Misleading and Incompetent
Link:
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Home/29C5599A-FCD8-4E30-9AD5-5497999ABA1B.html
Key Problems With the Greenpeace Report
Link:
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Home/ABC6DFDA-9DE9-4EA8-A269-65EAAB628676.html
The above pretty much sums it up.
I refuse to believe that a forward thinking company like Apple is THAT environmentally unfriendly. Don’t the two kind of go together?
DLMeyer:
“Unfortunately … well, they remind me of so many Mac Fanatics in their approach to the problem!”
Never offer a strongly-worded generalization like that without expecting us to call bullshit unless you include references to these hordes of outspoken Mac Fanatics.
Unsuprising. Greenpeace is dead last in integrity and honesty.