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Retina MacBook Pro Could Lose EPEAT Status

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Apr 12, 2001
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Yesterday, Apple reversed course on their decision to remove their products from the EPEAT Environmental Registry. In a letter recognizing the move as a "mistake", Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield reported that all eligible Apple products are now back on the registry.

The new Retina MacBook Pro was notably included in the "Gold" level status which represents the highest rating from EPEAT.

OmNciIRWdbmSySlq.large_-500x375.jpg



Retina MacBook Pro battery via iFixit​
Fortune, however, cites the Electronics TakeBack Coalition's Barbara Kyle in a blog posting that expressed doubts that this rating will ultimately stick:
Kyle explains: "It's important to understand that the manufacturers grade themselves against the EPEAT criteria first, and then EPEAT conducts a review of this grading. That EPEAT review has not yet occurred. They can require the manufacturers to remove any product from the registry if it is not found to conform to the IEEE standard."
Click to expand...
Kyle cites issues with required criteria for EPEAT's "Design for End of Life" which may prohibit the use of glue to attach the battery to the casing as has been seen on the Retina MacBook Pro.

A lack of EPEAT certification can have consequences as many government offices and corporations require certification for company purchases.

Article Link: Retina MacBook Pro Could Lose EPEAT Status
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/07/14/retina-macbook-pro-could-lose-epeat-status/
miles01110

miles01110

macrumors Core
Jul 24, 2006
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The Ivory Tower (I'm not coming down)
A lack of EPEAT certification can have consequences as many government offices and corporations require certification for company purchases.
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Probably not, actually. Government offices and corporations don't use Macs very much to begin with, and when they do they usually aren't portables. Assuming it just affects the RMBP, anyways.
 
C

cdmoore74

macrumors 68020
Jun 24, 2010
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711
So much confusion. So much indecision.

And here we witness the chaos without Steve Jobs.
 
diddl14

diddl14

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In terms of recyclability I don't quit get the issue with glue?

Doesn't that make it easier to remove and recycle the battery?

The fact that the battery is not packed in some plastic casing also sounds like a big plus in term of less non-recyclable material used?
 
east85

east85

macrumors 65816
Jun 24, 2010
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Seems like Tim Cook probably found out about this just in time and kept the matter from snowballing. Unless it was his decision to begin with, in which case it seems he's learning. Either way, it's good to see the attempt. :apple:
 
SkyBell

SkyBell

macrumors 604
Sep 7, 2006
6,603
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Texas, unfortunately.
Makes sense to me. No upgradability, means it gets tossed as soon as better performance is needed. I don't know about the rest of the world admitedly, but where I'm from recycling is almost unheard of and considered unnecessary and a waste of time. :rolleyes:
 
0

0000757

macrumors 68040
Dec 16, 2011
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miles01110 said:
Probably not, actually. Government offices and corporations don't use Macs very much to begin with, and when they do they usually aren't portables. Assuming it just affects the RMBP, anyways.
Click to expand...

The rMBP for now, but soon it'll affect the rest of the Pros, the Air, the Mini, the iMac, and probably any other future computer as things get thinner and more compact. The only computer this would probably never affect is the Mac Pro.
 
zorinlynx

zorinlynx

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May 31, 2007
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I think this whole gluing the battery in thing is the worst idea Apple has ever had.

Batteries are consumable. They need to be replaced eventually. They contain toxic chemicals and need special handling for recycling.

Why did anyone at Apple think gluing the battery in was a good idea? It makes warranty service on the battery more expensive for the company. Surely a mounting screw does not occupy THAT MUCH space!

A glued-in battery is barely forgiveable on a $500 iPad. On a $2000 laptop with a much bigger battery? It's preposterous.
 
T

tiwizard

macrumors regular
Jul 12, 2010
233
0
miles01110 said:
Probably not, actually. Government offices and corporations don't use Macs very much to begin with, and when they do they usually aren't portables. Assuming it just affects the RMBP, anyways.
Click to expand...

At least in education, the schools around here use iMacs and the old polycarbonate Macbooks. I don't see them spending $2k+ on laptops when they have their keys pried off by kids, so this doesn't really seem like too much of an issue...
 
I

isoft7

macrumors 6502a
Oct 3, 2011
965
564
cdmoore74 said:
So much confusion. So much indecision.

And here we witness the chaos without Steve Jobs.
Click to expand...

Indeed... from everything I've seen over the past 3 months I fully expect Apple will see a rather dramatic decline in market domination going forward. And from that, direct evidence to the concept that Steve Jobs really was one of the greatest pioneers in the tech industry.

----------
zorinlynx said:
I think this whole gluing the battery in thing is the worst idea Apple has ever had.

Batteries are consumable. They need to be replaced eventually. They contain toxic chemicals and need special handling for recycling.

Why did anyone at Apple think gluing the battery in was a good idea? It makes warranty service on the battery more expensive for the company. Surely a mounting screw does not occupy THAT MUCH space!

A glued-in battery is barely forgiveable on a $500 iPad. On a $2000 laptop with a much bigger battery? It's preposterous.
Click to expand...

Agreed, with their success has come arrogance. It's time for a correction. Several attempts met with failure will force a change in mentality at Cupertino.
 
gnasher729

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
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Cassie said:
Makes sense to me. No upgradability, means it gets tossed as soon as better performance is needed. I don't know about the rest of the world admitedly, but where I'm from recycling is almost unheard of and considered unnecessary and a waste of time. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Only a complete idiot would thow a Retina MBP away because it cannot be upgraded. Put a sign up "free MBP, not upgradeable" and you will find a stampede of people trying to get it.

But if you really want to throw it away, and you don't care about recycling, just take it with you when you buy your replacement Mac, and Apple will take it off your hands and likely give you some cash for it. (Probably goes to the back of the store, and after the store closes it will be auctioned to the employees, with the money put in the pot for the christmas party. Or it becomes the bonus for the "employee of the month". ).


zorinlynx said:
I think this whole gluing the battery in thing is the worst idea Apple has ever had.

Batteries are consumable. They need to be replaced eventually. They contain toxic chemicals and need special handling for recycling.
Click to expand...

So what happens when it needs replacing? You take the MBP to Apple, you hand over the cash, and they replace the battery. What's the problem?
 
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farmboy

farmboy

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Nov 26, 2003
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zorinlynx said:
I think this whole gluing the battery in thing is the worst idea Apple has ever had.

Why did anyone at Apple think gluing the battery in was a good idea? It makes warranty service on the battery more expensive for the company. Surely a mounting screw does not occupy THAT MUCH space!

A glued-in battery is barely forgiveable on a $500 iPad. On a $2000 laptop with a much bigger battery? It's preposterous.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing, based on taking quite a few things apart in my life (and most of which were not my original intent), that a 2-inch putty knife will separate the battery from the case. It should not be that big of a deal.
 
A

artificemm

macrumors newbie
Aug 15, 2011
12
1
I knew it

I suspected that the whole issue of the certification was about the Retina MBP...

And obviously, the late Jobs, would be using his F.U.D. powers to convince all people otherwise... :D


So much drama...
 
diddl14

diddl14

macrumors 65816
Aug 10, 2009
1,102
1,730
zorinlynx said:
I think this whole gluing the battery in thing is the worst idea Apple has ever had.

Batteries are consumable. They need to be replaced eventually. They contain toxic chemicals and need special handling for recycling.

Why did anyone at Apple think gluing the battery in was a good idea? It makes warranty service on the battery more expensive for the company. Surely a mounting screw does not occupy THAT MUCH space!

A glued-in battery is barely forgiveable on a $500 iPad. On a $2000 laptop with a much bigger battery? It's preposterous.
Click to expand...

That might well be, however this is about if a glued in battery is less environmental friendly and more difficult to recycle. Not if Apple is deceiving its customers by claiming that their latest battery technology no longer requires batteries to be user replaceable/consumable.
 
P

Pivs

macrumors member
Jul 2, 2012
38
0
Virginia
Who is really gonna break down and recycle all of the components of a laptop by themselves anyway. Just take it to apple!
 
D

dru`

macrumors regular
Jul 25, 2004
108
0
USA
zorinlynx said:
I think this whole gluing the battery in thing is the worst idea Apple has ever had.
Click to expand...

Of course batteries are consumables. Apple claims they've got a 5 year life and you can be sure they can be replaced by a qualified technician if, or when, they fail.

Remember Apple offers free recycling for its products all over the world and they've been building laptops for twenty years. Consumer replaceable batteries is probably a freedom you think you need when you really don't.

The key thing here is the marketplace LOVES Apple's devices which have made the choice to opt out of consumer replaceable batteries in favor of lighter, thinner devices with larger batteries.

Would I be satisfied with a "5 yr" lifespan on a $2000 laptop? Maybe not, but I'm honest enough to accept I never bothered replacing batteries in the ones I've owned.
 
Q

Quicklite

macrumors regular
Dec 1, 2011
199
85
Fascinating to see a different Apple under Tim - more corporate friendly, possibly more susceptible to consumer opinion - but we're definitely not used to U turns from Apple!
 
C

Cory Bauer

macrumors 6502a
Jun 26, 2003
615
233
I guess I don't understand why Apple had to glue the battery to the inside of the laptop in the first place; I mean as tightly as this thing is assembled, wouldn't the battery just stay in place without any kind of adhesive whatsoever? And if they must adhere it to the case, couldn't they use a glue that's easlily breakable with a little force? The reports make it sound like Apple's using some kind of NASA-grade glue that makes it impossible to remove the battery without spilling it's hazardous guts all over.
 
GadgetDon

GadgetDon

macrumors 6502
May 11, 2002
316
259
Actually, I smelled a rat with the quick turnaround. I wonder if the reason for removing everything from EPEAT was to force negotiations about being "flexible" for the Retina MBP and similar future devices. Both the Apple statement and the EPEAT statement talked about working together to "improve" the standard. Within a month, before there's been a chance to review the RMBP, there will be an announcement with tightened standards on in a number of areas where Apple is ahead of the standard - and buried in the fine print is weakening of some of the recyclability requirements.
 
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