Greepeace says - iPhone toxic

[Madame Defarge]

The iPhone is toxic, warns Greenpeace
Apple gets bad environmental rap
By John Cox, Framingham | Monday, 29 October, 2007

The latest embarrassment for Apple's iPhone is a report from ecoadvocacy group Greenpeace which says the revolutionary new cell phone has traces of two toxic chemicals that have been eliminated by some of Apple's rivals from their products.

The group arranged for an independent UK lab to test the phone's components. "An independent scientific laboratory tested 18 internal and external components of the iPhone and confirmed the presence of brominated compounds in half the samples, including in the phone's antenna, in which they made up 10% of the total weight of the flexible circuit board," according to a statement on Greenpeace's website. "A mixture of toxic phthalates was found to make up 1.5% of the plastic (PVC) coating of the headphone cables."

According to David Santillo, senior scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories, two of the phthalate plasticisers are classed in Europe as "toxic to reproduction, Category 2" because they can interfere with sexual reproduction in mammals. "While they are not prohibited in mobile phones, these phthalates are banned from use in all toys or childcare articles sold in Europe," he said, according to the statement. He called on Apple to eliminate the use of these chemicals in its products.

By contrast, the group reported that several Apple rivals have removed offending chemicals,

Nokia is totally PVC-free, and Motorola and Sony Ericsson already have products on the market with BFR free components. Apple's competitors have also identified extra toxic chemicals they intend to remove in the future — beyond current minimum legal requirements.

During the iPhone disassembly, the Greenpeace testers found that phone's battery was glued and soldered in place. "This hinders battery replacement and makes separation for recycling, or appropriate disposal, more difficult, and therefore adds to the burden of electronic waste," according to Greenpeace.

http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/spec/E12CFB584DF302A8CC25737F00834C84

 

[pilotError]

I thought there was a counter report, this is about a month old BTW.

The chemicals are used as a fire retardant. From what the company who makes the chemical (if you can believe them) stated, there is no alternative...

 

[plumbingandtech]

Do a thread search.

Old news.

And apple already sent out a press release that they are compliant.

Greenpeach is once again trying to get PR by slamming high profile company.

I sure hope Greenpeace's computers contain no toxins either. That would be a bit hypocritical.

 

[Sobe]

I miss the old days, like when France sunk a Greenpeace ship.

Man I love France.

 

[RossoA]

haha me too!

Greenpeace can say the iPhone is toxic, but the Conservatives say they're going to lower taxes.

Either way, I don't care.

 

[Madame Defarge]

I miss the old days, like when France sunk a Greenpeace ship.

Man I love France.

I'll bet you do.

Nokia is totally PVC free, Motorola and Sony Ericsson have already products on the market with BFR free components. Apple's competitors have also identified extra toxic chemicals they intend to remove in the future - beyond current minimum legal requirements.

Nokia and Sony Ericsson have a global take-back policy for their phones and accept responsibility for reuse and recycling of phones they manufacture. That saves resources and helps prevent old phones from adding to the mountain of e-waste that has been dumped in Asia.

Apple does not have a global free take-back policy so the eventual fate of the between four and 10 million iPhones expected to be sold in its first year is uncertain.

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/iphone-s-hazardous-chemicals

 

[Sobe]

Or people could take the responsibility to deal with their trash in a responsible manner instead of pawning it off on a company.

I think I'll go eat at taco bell, then demand that they pay for my sewage tank to be drained.

Of course attacking Apple grabs a lot more headlines than attacking individual consumers and asking them to be responsible.

 

[Madame Defarge]

Name calling, the last bastion of those without an intelligent argument to make.

Nothing is wrong with being environmentally responsible per se.

The problem is when people use it as an excuse to push an anti-freedom, anti-individualistic agenda under the guise of benign paternalism.

What about the folks who are pushing individualism via unlocked phones? You don't seem too happy with them. The following is your post from another thread,
.......

It's like some bizarre Ayn Randian nightmare where people think these products are just plucked off a tree somewhere and that they have some crazy right to turn someone else's creativity, effort, and investment into whatever they want.

It's like, yeah thanks for making it, now get the hell out of my way while I take what you did and do everything with it that your design and business model sought to prevent..and while I subvert your goals and dreams in the course of pursuing my own with what you have created, I will curse you for not taking my wishes into account, having the audacity to state that my goals do not further your own, and making the fulfillment of my own desires easier with what you have offered to me.

It's rather frightening. But most of all, it's just rude.
__________________

 

[Sobe]

they're more than free to make their own phone or use an existing phone within the framework of the agreements made when purchased.

 

[devilot]

There is, indeed, an existing thread on this issue. Please continue any relevant discussion in this thread. Thanks.