Apple Pulls Products from Environmental EPEAT Registry

[MacRumors]

Apple has notified the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) that it is withdrawing its products from the EPEAT registry and will no longer be submitting its products to EPEAT for environmental rating. CIO Journal spoke with Robert Frisbee, CEO of EPEAT, who offered slightly more color to the decision:

"They said their design direction was no longer consistent with the EPEAT requirements," Frisbee said. The company did not elaborate, Frisbee said. "They were important supporters and we are disappointed that they don't want their products measured by this standard anymore."

EPEAT certification requires certain standards that make the machines easy to disassemble and recycle using common tools. Apple's recent Mac products, such as the Retina MacBook Pro, are difficult to fully disassemble making them ineligible for certification. iFixIt explains:

According to my EPEAT contacts, Apple's mobile design direction is in conflict with the intended direction of the standard. Specifically, the standard lays out particular requirements for product "disassemble-ability," a very important consideration for recycling: "External enclosures, chassis, and electronic subassemblies shall be removable with commonly available tools or by hand."

The move could have a financial impact on Apple's sales. CIO Reports that many corporations require EPEAT certified computers. Meanwhile, the U.S. government requires 95% of electronics purchases also be EPEAT certified.

The move does not seem to affect Apple's popular iPhone and iPad devices, as they are presently a class of product not certified by EPEAT.

Article Link: Apple Pulls Products from Environmental EPEAT Registry

 

[SprodeBoy]

At first this seemed like nothing important. But that fact about the government and EPEAT technologies... Wasn't apple going to introduce iPads into the FAA?

 

[macingman]

Interesting, I guess in the pursuit of thiness Apple is forced to use things which aren't enviromentally friendly like glue or whatever. Interesting as Apple used to use enviromental friendliness as a major selling point a few years back.

 

[racer1441]

Good for Apple. These groups are no different than the mob demanding protection money from shop owners so they remain safe from the mob.

 

[Power Macintosh]

Al Gore will not be happy.

 

[Theclamshell]

EPEAT certification requires certain standards that make the machines easy to disassemble and recycle using common tools.

*Stops wondering why Apple pulled products*

 

[east85]

This is a pretty sad moment, honestly. I mean this was helpful on the user end as well, even if you don't give a crap about the environment. It made their products more easily repairable and accessible for maintenance.

 

[Pyrrhic Victory]

Who cares about the safety of the planet, I just want my computer to be a few millimeters thinner!

 

[arn]

At first this seemed like nothing important. But that fact about the government and EPEAT technologies... Wasn't apple going to introduce iPads into the FAA?

Seems tablets aren't EPEAT certifiable, so it doesn't' affect iPads or iPhones

arn

 

[bluush]

Who cares about the safety of the planet, I just want my computer to be a few millimeters thinner!

Exactly. So many Apple fans will demonize EPEAT over this in an attempt to brush over what a lame move by Apple this is. The stereotype that Mac users are nothing but liberals who pretend to care about social and environmental issues but deep down really don't care at all is validated by this move on Apple's part. Bypassing EPEAT just to have a new barely thinner laptop to release each year to please the crowds is not really the kind of company I like to do business with.

 

[spacepower7]

Can't literally ripping a computer apart and smelting the metal be environmentally friendly?

Does recycle mean reuse in the standard? I got plenyt of old Dells that I can recycle but nobody would reuse their ancient parts. Actually most places want to charge me to recycle the,.

This all sounds like bureaucracy that Apple has already figured out a better way to deal with it?

Just wondering....

 

[Peace]

If other laptop makers use the same basic design as the Air then they might be doing the same.

 

[colour]

Interesting, I guess in the pursuit of thiness Apple is forced to use things which aren't enviromentally friendly like glue or whatever. Interesting as Apple used to use enviromental friendliness as a major selling point a few years back.

Exactly! I concreted my theory that apple has become predominantly about money and market share when the retina Macbook was released.

It's pretty disgusting IMO as I would have thought apple was design conscious towards environmental issues. As it turns out they were just using the whole thing as leverage for marketing and pushing sales as being "environmentally conscious" was trending. They worked around that and used it as their sales key.

Apples intentions are becoming more apparent as time goes on, first the macbook airs (which wasn't a bad idea) then the retina MBP designs... again, focusing on trends to maximize sales and furthermore charging unjustifiable prices for initial BTO upgrades.

Congrats apple, turns out you don't care for the environment... or anything else but power, money and market share.

 

[Orange Furball]

power, money and market share.

Honestly, does this surprise you? Everyone gets greedy. Why can't apple?

 

[TMar]

Can't literally ripping a computer apart and smelting the metal be environmentally friendly?

Does recycle mean reuse in the standard? I got plenyt of old Dells that I can recycle but nobody would reuse their ancient parts. Actually most places want to charge me to recycle the,.

This all sounds like bureaucracy that Apple has already figured out a better way to deal with it?

Just wondering....

While I don't agree with the standard itself, this part of it is about if I have a faulty batter in my new macbook pro it's almost unrepairable. This isn't machines being repaired years after their prime but new machines being wasted because they are highly unrepairable.

 

[faroZ06]

Good for Apple. These groups are no different than the mob demanding protection money from shop owners so they remain safe from the mob.

Bad for Apple's business if they can't sell their products in some places. I don't like these groups either, but business isn't about rebellion.

----------

While I don't agree with the standard itself, this part of it is about if I have a faulty batter in my new mac pro it's almost unrepairable. This isn't machines being repaired years after their prime but new machines being wasted because they are highly unrepairable.

You have a battery in your Mac Pro? Lucky. I asked if I could install one, and the only reply I got was "no".

 

[colour]

Can't literally ripping a computer apart and smelting the metal be environmentally friendly?

Does recycle mean reuse in the standard? I got plenyt of old Dells that I can recycle but nobody would reuse their ancient parts. Actually most places want to charge me to recycle the,.

This all sounds like bureaucracy that Apple has already figured out a better way to deal with it?

Just wondering....

Sure apple use aluminium and recycled glass ect ect ect. That is only one aspect (of many) of the concept of a product being environmentally friendly.

Knowing apple they will come up with a few schemes to combat this claim, such as offering to upgrade and recycle apple products for a price. Again keeping all money generated in apples pockets.

 

[faroZ06]

Who cares about the safety of the planet, I just want my computer to be a few millimeters thinner!

From what the article said, it looks more like Apple's laptops just can't be judged by EPEAT due to incompatibilities with their rating system, but I wouldn't be surprised if the thinner laptops were harder to recycle.

----------

Sure apple use aluminium and recycled glass ect ect ect. That is only one aspect (of many) of the concept of a product being environmentally friendly.

Knowing apple they will come up with a few schemes to combat this claim, such as offering to upgrade and recycle apple products for a price. Again keeping all money generated in apples pockets.

How about Mac leasing?

 

[BlazednSleepy]

To be honest, I'm a little disappointed in apple. I always appreciated the fact that these computers were highly recyclable and better on the environment than most electronics now a days. I figured apple would somehow develop a way to get these batteries off safely so they can be recycled.

If this is the way technology is going to become, getting smaller and lighter but less conscious about the world we live in then I'm not for it.

 

[TMar]

----------

You have a battery in your Mac Pro? Lucky. I asked if I could install one, and the only reply I got was "no".

It was edited prior to your post but nice try.

 

[faroZ06]

This is a pretty sad moment, honestly. I mean this was helpful on the user end as well, even if you don't give a crap about the environment. It made their products more easily repairable and accessible for maintenance.

The soldered-on RAM is not nice.

----------

It was edited prior to your post but nice try.

Oh. I was actually serious about trying to get a battery into my Mac Pro. It seems more sensible than an external UPS, and I think the iMacs should have small laptop batteries in them.

 

[colour]

Honestly, does this surprise you? Everyone gets greedy. Why can't apple?

Apple isn't a bank where making more money is their business.

Apple has more of a responsibility given their impact on society as a innovative tech company, when you design a iphone, ipad, ipod you should consider the ethics of design, this is apple this isn't some small Chinese company trying to get out of bankruptcy by selling cheap crap.

Apple built their reputation on what others didn't do! That is the apple that I loved. Do you want to see apple turn into a windows or equivalent.

 

[faroZ06]

To be honest, I'm a little disappointed in apple. I always appreciated the fact that these computers were highly recyclable and better on the environment than most electronics now a days. I figured apple would somehow develop a way to get these batteries off safely so they can be recycled.

If this is the way technology is going to become, getting smaller and lighter but less conscious about the world we live in then I'm not for it.

I don't see this making a big environmental impact, but Apple should be more responsible about recycling now that their products require more specialized tools to disassemble.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Can't literally ripping a computer apart and smelting the metal be environmentally friendly?

Does recycle mean reuse in the standard? I got plenyt of old Dells that I can recycle but nobody would reuse their ancient parts. Actually most places want to charge me to recycle the,.

This all sounds like bureaucracy that Apple has already figured out a better way to deal with it?

Just wondering....

From what I've read glass bonded directly to aluminium like Apple is doing w/the new rMBP and iPad renders the material not recyclable.

 

[AustinIllini]

Al Gore will not be happy.

He heard the news on his macbook whilst riding around in his Chevy Suburban.