Poor Recycle Behavior by Apple...

[jmurray]

I don't know if this has been a thread before or not but I am curious of where the Mac community stands on Apple's poor environmental behavior. There are a number of computer periodicals reporting on this, but here is a common story from the Scripps Howard News Service:

http://www.detnews.com/2005/technology/0503/09/A08-111726.htm

What 'cha think?

JM

 

[MattG]

I've been saying for a while that one of the features Apple really needs to change on the iPod is for the end-user to be able to (easily) change the battery.

As for the part of the article that says "Apple charges $30 to send back your computer for recycling..." Can't you just take it to a local recycling center, free of charge? That's what I do with old equipment.

 

[BrianKonarsMac]

i think people should focus on the larger picture...the fact that the entire world has poor recycling behavior. it's not as if apple is the only company (entity) like this.

 

[rainman::|:|]

Apple's continued refusal to adopt more green recycling policies is at odds with their standing as a good corporate citizen. Sure lots of other companies pollute like this, but they're Apple, they're supposed to be better than that. Started by a hippie and a nerd, remember? Still run by the hippie. When you have a product as popular as the iPod, and it turns out to be pretty darn environmentally toxic, you should take any and all steps to fix it...

This issue (and a couple of other ones) are things that remind me not to blindly trust Apple, because they're not perfect... just their software is.

 

[Jon'sLightBulbs]

Considering the usual Apple user stereotype (liberal, treehugger, ecohappy), this environment trashing policy might have some bearing on ipod and computer sales.

But only if the policy makes it past page 19 of the Cupertino municipal newspaper. Or the also ran news section of whichever web source this thread originated from. I'm pretty interested in Apple's environmental policy, but let's not pretend that the average ipod or imac buyer is.

 

[Applespider]

In regards to the iPod battery, you could argue the converse.

With a consumer replaceable battery, who knows where all those old batteries end up? Most of them in the everyday trash I'd imagine - whereas I suspect a full iPod is more likely to be disposed of as an electronic or kept and put in a drawer.

With Apple replaceable batteries, at least all the batteries end up being properly disposed of.

 

[johnnowak]

While I am very conscious of environmental issues, I have to call ******** on this one. If consumers could replace their own batteries, *none* would get recycled. Now, Apple can dispose of them properly. As for the $30 recycling fee... well honestly, how many people *recycle* their Macs? All my IIgs systems still work! I suspect the volume is so low (much lower than Dell and HP which have large corporate customers and machines that break after two years) that Apple can't afford to do it for free. Besides, you pay people to take your recycling every week. How is this any different?

Nonsense.

 

[johnnowak]

Believe me, I've *love* an excuse to be forced to ditch the Mac and switch to Linux (don't ask me why). However, no matter how much I search, I can't seem to find a legitimate one. Not in regards to their recent business practices anyway.

 

[jmurray]

Apple's continued refusal to adopt more green recycling policies is at odds with their standing as a good corporate citizen. Sure lots of other companies pollute like this, but they're Apple, they're supposed to be better than that. Started by a hippie and a nerd, remember? Still run by the hippie. When you have a product as popular as the iPod, and it turns out to be pretty darn environmentally toxic, you should take any and all steps to fix it...

This issue (and a couple of other ones) are things that remind me not to blindly trust Apple, because they're not perfect... just their software is.

I agree with you Paul.

I have this ongoing, vibrant, but collegial argument with an acoustician PhD colleague on mine who happens to be French. He's firmly in Michael Dell's camp with good reason. Dell is quite bright, makes a damn good product, and leads the pack as innovator, not in hardware, but customer service. I invite any who disagree to log on to their site. Any and every problem that arises is taken care of at the company's expense, no questions asked. The mistake Michael Dell made of course, is software it uses to run the machine.

So my French friend bought a JukeBox right when it came out and is pleased with the ergonomics of it, size, weight, even audio [remember, he's a sound guy]. The thing that to this day he is still envious of is the interface. iTunes just blows away anything if can find to use.

Sorry to give the back-story so much wind, but the point is that he's in tune with Europe, where he says recycling is like brushing your teeth. It just gets done without a second thought. Why North America is so stubborn to adopt these types of models is beyond me. IMHO, Apple does need to look at Dell and HP as models for their recycling.

By the way, I've convinced my French friend to add to his arsenal. He's crossing over with the Shuffle. Before long, it'll be a Mac Mini...

JM

 

[Mechcozmo]

Believe me, I've *love* an excuse to be forced to ditch the Mac and switch to Linux (don't ask me why). However, no matter how much I search, I can't seem to find a legitimate one. Not in regards to their recent business practices anyway.

Apple is a pretty nice company overall. No complaints here.

I know that I have a bunch of rechargeable batteries that need to be recycled.... just can't find a place/time to do it. And I know that few people like having a drawer full of dead batteries. They'd just trash them.

 

[igucl]

$100 is too much for battery replacement, in my opinion. However, does anyone know of a comparable player that does offer a user-accessible battery? A friend of mine has a sony hard disk player, and it appears to be sealed up too. What about the Dell DJ? Truly it is a huge and expensive inconvenience to ship off the iPod for a new battery. We didn't spend $300 on it for it to become useless after 18 months. What is the justification for sealing the battery off?

 

[Mechcozmo]

$We didn't spend $300 on it for it to become useless after 18 months. What is the justification for sealing the battery off?

My 1G iPod still lasts 10 hours, give or take about a half hour. One issue is if you just let it sit for 3 days it looses the charge, but if you use it to play 1 hour a day it will go for ~10 days.

 

[Lacero]

I can't pass judgment on Apple's recycling behavior since I hardly recycle my own stuff, and I prefer to buy new vs recycled materials. Apple's problems are indicative of the entire computing industry. Are we willing to pay a 2x premium for environmentally friendly materials or technologies so our dependence on mercury and lead in our monitors and batteries is reduced?

 

[jmurray]

$100 is too much for battery replacement, in my opinion. However, does anyone know of a comparable player that does offer a user-accessible battery? A friend of mine has a sony hard disk player, and it appears to be sealed up too. What about the Dell DJ? Truly it is a huge and expensive inconvenience to ship off the iPod for a new battery. We didn't spend $300 on it for it to become useless after 18 months. What is the justification for sealing the battery off?

Here's where I think Apple gets cool again. Yes, it costs you $100 to replace the battery. But it's not just the battery that Apple is replacing. They send you a brand new iPod. In effect, iPod's are Bic disposables. When it's done, just get a new one. What I do not know, but would like to, is what is done in the following scenario: I have a second generation iPod that needs a new battery. I send it to Apple, but they don't have any 2G's left. Do I get the current model, even if it means a slight upgrade? Does anybody know?

JM

PS Here's the "Out of Warranty - Replacement Battery" link. How do you read it?

http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/service/battery.html

 

[Abstract]

Why North America is so stubborn to adopt these types of models is beyond me. IMHO, Apple does need to look at Dell and HP as models for their recycling.

Speak for your own country. Canada is quite good at recycling.

 

[Sun Baked]

Anybody want to take bets on how much money Apple will spend per Apple Store to bulk up their recycling effort.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say $200 in signs and displays to let people know they can drop off their iPods, Li Batteries, and dead notebooks, computers, monitors for FREE and Apple will recycle them for ya.

Should be interesting to see how much of that stuff is resold by store managers on eBay.

 

[iGary]

You see the new size of the iLife and iWork packaging - and the iPod shuffle?

Very little waste.

As for recycling, we don't live in a country that forces their corporations to take back evrtything they make (including the packaging) lke some EU countries (thank goodness).

iPod batteries?

How many AAA alkalines have been thrown away out of Walkmans?

Silly argument all around. Any manufacturer can be accuse of not being green. At least Apple is trying in a few areas. It's not their job to dispose of what they sell to you.

 

[jmurray]

Speak for your own country. Canada is quite good at recycling.

Didn't mean to offend Abstract.

I started this thread to mostly discuss iPod batteries, and Apple's management of batteries vs. Dell and HP. Somehow it's askew into packaging...