01/08/2007, 9:40am, EST
Monday, January 8th
EPA: Apple notebooks are most eco-friendly
The Environmental Protection Agency has ranked Apple notebooks as the most environmentally-friendly portable computers in its EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool), according to a recent New York Times article. Computers ranked in the list must meet 23 mandatory criteria, and can optionally meet up to 28 additional criteria for to receive one of a bronze, silver, or gold medal. While no PC manufacturers scored a gold medal, Apple's MacBook Pro led the way for portables with all models meeting 17 optional criteria and receiving silver medals, according to Ars Technica. The company's Mac Pro met 16 optional criteria above the required 23, and its 20-, 23-, and 30-inch Cinema Displays met 15 optional criteria above the minimum required. The Greenpeace organization in late October of 2006 protested Apple's manufacturing processes at the Apple Expo in London, but was shown the door after Expo organizers reportedly received several complaints from unnamed sources.
Greenpeace recently published a report ranking Apple as the worst technology company with regard to environmental issues, grading 14 top manufacturers of personal computers and cellular phones on manufacturing processes. The organization later 'greened' Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City, shining green lights into the glass cube to protest the use of toxic substances as they strive to encourage a 'greener Apple.'
Filed under: Apple
,
, 17
,
,
,
,
,

subscribe to comments
for this article
(http://www.epeat.net/Criteria.aspx)
One of the things listed "required" is a product take-back. I didn't think Apple had this. They should be disqualified; am I wrong?
However, there is one glaring omission and this invalidates that statement that all Apple's laptops have the best rating. The EPAs ratings for Apple laptops DO NOT INCLUDE MACBOOKS, only the MacBook Pros. So, we can't say because those laptops are not included. And they could contain PVCs, as their cases are not metal.
Second, Apple did not get the highest rating on their laptops. They got a Silver rating; the highest would have been a GOLD rating. We can't say their Silver is higher than all other notebook makers, as 140 some other non-Apple notebooks also had Silver ratings. There were no Gold ratings. I suppose you could say since they had equal to 140 others they are among the highest. But Bronze/Silver/Gold categories are not themselves quantitative.
Lastly, Greenpeaces assertions also focus much upon iPods, which have quite a bit more plastic in them. These estimates don't include music players.
Did Greenpeace overstate its claims? Maybe, but without better data we can't completely exhonerate Apple.