Apple Issues Statement on EPEAT Registry Withdrawal

[MacRumors]

Late last week, we noted that Apple had pulled all of its qualifying Mac products from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registry for environmental ratings.

The move, which is said to have been related to Apple's design decisions that will disqualify its new and upcoming products from the registry, has the potential to impact Apple's presence in governmental and institutional purchasing. The city of San Francisco is among the first entities to act on Apple's withdrawal, announcing that it will bar most municipal Mac purchases.

Apple has now issued a statement to The Loop addressing its environmental outlook and its commitment to continue meeting other modern standards like Energy Star.

"Apple 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," Apple representative Kristin Huguet, told The Loop. "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."

The Loop's Jim Dalrymple notes that even EPEAT acknowledges that many of its standards are outdated, with Apple apparently believing that those criteria have become too restrictive and do not address the full gamut of the company's environmental commitments.

Article Link: Apple Issues Statement on EPEAT Registry Withdrawal

 

[jav6454]

Damage control... or rather image control or PR... what ever you wanna call it. This is what Apple is doing.

I have admit there are certain things the EPEAT can do to make their standards better. (If they so believe they are outdated).

 

[stiligFox]

Hmmm, thats a pretty good point there.

It still doesn't excuse making it harder for an average consumer to tear apart the device to take it in for recycling.

Although I imagine have the ability to dismantle your device was more useful back when there weren't as many places to take old devices to recycle.

 

[Comeagain?]

Yep, Apple truly doesn't care about the environment anymore. They're just greedy and want their designs to be the smallest, lightest, regardless of how terrible it is for the rest of the planet. How dare they.

</sarcasm>

 

[SprodeBoy]

That does seem like a big step for San fransisco. Denying apple solely for te fact that they do not have the title.

 

[Icaras]

So glad Apple is sticking to their guns on this one and not hindering their innovation while at the same time still making it loud and clear their effort in keeping green on their products.

Can't wait to see the future redesign of an iMac (and the other Macs as well)using what they've learned on the retina Macbook Pro.

 

[pdjudd]

It still doesn't excuse making it harder for an average consumer to tear apart the device to take it in for recycling.

Honestly, how many consumers tear apart their computers on their own? Most people that don’t just trash their computers or sell them as is on ebay are taking them as is to the local trash company and pay to dispose them in with other computers. They don’t tear them down themselves.

Heck our company pays somebody to dispose computers without discrimination and we are EPEAT Gold.

 

[Wurm5150]

Hmmm, thats a pretty good point there.

It still doesn't excuse making it harder for an average consumer to tear apart the device to take it in for recycling.

Although I imagine that was more useful at a time when there were fewer places you could take whole old devices to recycle.

The average consumer would GO TO THE NEAREST APPLE STORE AND TAKE THEIR DEVICE FOR RECYCLING AND GET A GIFT CARD FOR DOING SO..if there are no Apple Store nearby, the average consumer will get Apple to ship it for free to recycle their old device and get a gift card for doing so.

P.S. I got a $163 for recycling my old ass almost dead iMac..

http://www.apple.com/recycling/

 

[quietstormSD]

That's the lamest excuse I have ever heard from a company. They are attacking a standard as an excuse for pulling there products from attempting to follow that standard.

They should just face it that they can't meet EPEAT environmental standards. I love Apple products, but come on and stop trying to make excuses.

 

[troop231]

Or, the smart consumer will sell it on eBay / Craigslist and make more money than if he/she were to give it back to Apple and get a gift card.

 

[Sixtafoua]

Repairability is an area that apple doesn't want to address properly because they know they're wrong but continue to keep their stance because they they want to make a business out of repairs.

 

[Theclamshell]

"Our products are not easy to work on or disassemble because we use screws such as the ones holding on the back of the iPhone when we could easily use Philips head screws which would not require a specialty tool to remove"

 

[dagamer34]

In these posts I've seen the following:
1) People attacking San Francisco because Apple products no longer fit their policy (if they bend the policy, what is the point of the policy?) or saying their tax dollars shouldn't be wasted on Macs (despite 1-2% of all computer being Macs) or the fact that it's a hippie town (what does that have to do with anything?)
2) People attacking Apple for no longer caring about the environment when there is evidence in the past for the exact opposite.
3) People attacking EPEAT for having outdated standards (though I don't think most people even know what those standards are), though Apple proudly touted their logo for the last 5 years. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

Honestly, I wish people would act rationally about discussing this topic instead of ad hominem attacks against people. I'd rather have the following:
1) Cities and governments commit to green initiatives that they've already put into place.
2) Apple to describe what it is doing to environmentally dispose of products like the iPad and Retina MacBook Pro where glue is used.
3) EPEAT to update its standards where necessary and work with Apple to update them (Apple did help with the guidelines when EPEAT was founded).

The amount of vitriol around this issue is unproductive at best and idiotic at worst. People need to work on issues and stop mindlessly attacking each other (I don't expect corporations and our government to act any better than the people work there).

 

[applesith]

I honestly dont care if their stuff qualifies. Paying for the qualification is one less cost to apple now.

 

[stiligFox]

The average consumer would GO TO THE NEAREST APPLE STORE AND TAKE THEIR DEVICE FOR RECYCLING AND GET A GIFT CARD FOR DOING SO..if there are no Apple Store nearby, the average consumer will get Apple to ship it for free to recycle their old device and get a gift card for doing so.

http://www.apple.com/recycling/

Whoa whoa whoa, that's my point: Nowadays that's what they do. But in the old days where there weren't as many Apple stores...

Ugh, nevermind. I muddled that up pretty bad. Sorry :/

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Honestly, how many consumers tear apart their computers on their own? Most people that don’t just trash their computers or sell them as is on ebay are taking them as is to the local trash company and pay to dispose them in with other computers. They don’t tear them down themselves.

Heck our company pays somebody to dispose computers without discrimination and we are EPEAT Gold.

Sure, but now, even those who used to dismantle their computer can't without paying for the tools to do so.

BUT... Going off of what Wurm said, why would anyone do that when they can take their device to Apple and get paid for it, beats me.

 

[nagromme]

Hmmm, thats a pretty good point there.

It still doesn't excuse making it harder for an average consumer to tear apart the device to take it in for recycling.

Although I imagine that was more useful at a time when there were fewer places you could take whole old devices to recycle.

I don’t think the average consumer is tearing things apart at home to decide which components different recycling companies are able to process.

The value of EPEAT (though it may need to be updated to allow progress in device construction) would be more to the recycling companies themselves.

But, if a lot of people take their old Macs to places other than Apple for recycling, then those places will adapt and learn to take them apart—EPEAT or no EPEAT.

Meanwhile, I hope most people just take the Mac back to Apple.

Not that I have ever known an old Mac to stop working and need recycling! I’m thinking of all my own Macs, my friends, and my family. All those Macs, dating back to the 90s, still run to my knowledge. I even accepted way too many of them as hand me downs, thinking I’d want to play old games or work in Director Good grief, I just counted: I have 12 miscellaneous Macs, Pods and iOS devices cluttering up the joint! Many have been brutalized for years... none have failed.

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle: recycling is the last resort and the least environmentally friendly of those 3 principles! And Apple is outstanding at all 3, whether they’re able to follow a specific outdated rule set or not.

 

[Rot'nApple]

even EPEAT acknowledges that many of its standards are outdated,

Just like the thinking that governs San Francisco...
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[greytmom]

This whole issue is ridiculous. I've never pulled apart a computer in order to recycle it. When I'm done with it, I sell it or donate it.

I don't know anyone who breaks their computers down in order to recycle them. Hell, even my company simply donates their outdated equipment to various charities (and trust me, we are talking incredibly old stuff).

If the computer is energy efficient and there are available recycling programs in place, that's good enough for me. I don't give a damn if it takes a screwdriver or a sledgehammer to pull the thing apart.

 

[stiligFox]

Not that I have ever known an old Mac to stop working and need recycling! I’m thinking of all my own Macs, my friends, and my family. All those Macs, dating back to the 90s, still run to my knowledge. I even accepted way too many of them as hand me downs, thinking I’d want to play old games or work in Director

Hehe, that's true. I've a Pismo, iBook G4 and G3 iMac that have all lasted well... And they are still kicking when I use them XD

 

[RedCroissant]

That's exactly the type of statement that I was expecting from Apple and glad of it. It also makes sense that EPEAT must be able to modify its standards to emerging technology and be able to adjust policies so that companies that have shown to be responsible in regards to the environment should continue to get the support of the environmental community.

 

[genovelle]

That's the lamest excuse I have ever heard from a company. They are attacking a standard as an excuse for pulling there products from attempting to follow that standard.

They should just face it that they can't meet EPEAT environmental standards. I love Apple products, but come on and stop trying to make excuses.

Trolls should read before running off at the mouth. The author of the article added the part about the standard being out of date. The requirement for being able to take the device apart easily is unnecessary when you can take it to an Apple store or ship it back to them for disposal. They will even pay you for you trouble.

 

[Eorlas]

Hmmm, thats a pretty good point there.

It still doesn't excuse making it harder for an average consumer to tear apart the device to take it in for recycling.

Although I imagine that was more useful at a time when there were fewer places you could take whole old devices to recycle.

Every Target I've been to has a device recycling bin. Also, Apple offers to recycle your old device for free. They'll pay for everything including the shipping. If I'm not mistaken you also get an Apple gift card out of it? Can't remember if that detail is correct or not; someone else can check.

 

[arctic]

I love this "maneuver". It's time for EPEAT to make sure their standards are not stunting the technology changes. Go AAPL!!!!

 

[AidenShaw]

Just like the thinking that governs San Francisco...
/
/
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I'll take "San Francisco thinking" over most of the "red state thinking" any day.

Wait - does using "red state" and "thinking" in the same sentence constitute an oxymoron? I think that it does....

 

[beamer8912]

Just Apple trying to save face, and justify their switch to completely unserviceable (for the user) laptops.