U.S. Federal government rethinking buying Apple computers over EPEAT withdrawal

14 years ago

“The feds are thinking twice about buying Apple computers after the company announced plans to withdraw from an environmental rating system,” Michelle Quinn reports for Politico. “Federal officials who focus on sustainability issues met Wednesday to discuss the question, according to a government source, and will seek a meeting with Apple soon. Last week, Apple decided to stop using an environmental certification program, the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool run by the Green Electronics Council, a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit. EPEAT was developed through a stakeholder process supported by the EPA.”

Quinn reports, “Federal procurement decisions for fiscal 2013 are being made now, the government source said. Federal officials are worried that the government’s efforts to buy environmentally friendly products will be set back, the source said, adding, ‘Apple’s competitors are looking at this and saying if they can get away with this maybe we can too.’ … Apple has told The Loop that it ‘takes a comprehensive approach to measuring our environmental impact and all of our products meet the strictest energy efficiency standards backed by the US government, Energy Star 5.2. We also lead the industry by reporting each product’s greenhouse gas emissions on our website, and Apple products are superior in other important environmental areas not measured by EPEAT, such as removal of toxic materials.'”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote Tuesday in regard to The City of San Francisco’s knee-jerk reaction to Apple dumping EPEAT:

“Adhering to environmental standards when better options arise is madness. Government is notoriously slow to adapt to new ideas, especially once old ideas are codified.”

The smart and nimble have already figured out why Apple is moving forward and why the company’s approach is better for the environment. The rest are left behind, struggling to figure out why, for example, non-removable batteries coupled with free Apple recycling programs that safely dispose of them in an environmentally responsible manner are better than the old removable batteries, still loved by the EPEAT anachronism, the vast majority of which end up being dumped straight into landfills, the world’s oceans, and God only knows where else.

By the way, bring your old Mac batteries to an Apple Retail Store near you and they’ll recycle them for free.

So, it’s not at all difficult to grasp: You buy the Apple product, you use it up, you send it back to Apple for free, and Apple makes sure it doesn’t end up fouling the planet. A simple, clean closed loop. No other tech company comes close to Apple on protecting the environment. Period.

Yes, Apple has left EPEAT. Quick, Greenpeace et al., mobilize the terminally uninformed, unchain them from the renewable crops, arm them with pitchforks and torches, and peck out the press release: The million moron march on Cupertino starts now!!!

MacDailyNews Note: To recycle your Mac, iPad, iPhone and other products — if your product has monetary value, Apple will apply that value toward an Apple Gift Card — use the Apple Recycling Program.

If all you want is to dispose of your unwanted equipment — regardless of brand — Apple Inc. will help you do that. Apple contracts with Sims Recycling Solutions to responsibly recycle computers and displays from any manufacturer. Sims Recycling Solutions feature domestic processing facilities where a zero-landfill policy and proven sustainability give you peace of mind in knowing that your electronics will be managed responsibly. Just call 800-966-4135 to receive a free prepaid shipping label. Then pack up your equipment using your own box and send it off. For more information about Sims Recycling Solutions, visit oem.srsapp.com/ApplePoweredBysims/.

More information about Apple’s extensive commitment to the environment here.