Apple Computers Offers Free Recycling Of Old Machines
Apple Computer has announced that it will offer free recycling of old computers to consumers who buy new Macs.
With its announcement, Apple joins Dell and Hewlett Packard in providing free computer recycling. Unlike Dell and HP, Apple has not yet announced any public collection goals. HP has announced a goal of collecting one billion pounds of products and supplies for recycling by 2007. Dell’s goal is 280 million pounds by 2009. Apple said it would announce the details of its program this month.
“Apple is committed to supporting our customers and protecting the environment throughout the entire product life cycle, from purchase through to retirement,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Now we are making it even easier for Apple’s customers to safely and affordably recycle their used computers and iPods.”
Apple shareholders, who filed a resolution calling for a study to improve recycling, are encouraging Apple to vigorously promote its new policy.
Hoping to give Apple a competitive advantage, shareholders want to ensure that Apple widely publicizes this new program so that consumers will consider a companys recycling policy when choosing which computer to buy.
“We applaud Apple for launching this recycling program and want to ensure that consumers know about it,” said Robin Schneider, vice-chair of the Computer TakeBack Campaign, in attendance at the shareholder meeting as an Apple shareholder.
“Given the growing e-waste crisis, consumers want to know that their old computers are being recycled responsibly. By promoting and making it easy for consumers to recycle, more environmentally-minded consumers will choose Mac, serving Apple shareholders very well.”
The Computer TakeBack Campaign has been pressuring Apple Computer to improve its recycling program since January 2005, with protests at Apple’s headquarters and the San Francisco MacWorld convention. In response to pressure around the short product lifespan of its iPod products, Apple announced free iPod recycling at its U.S.stores last June. However, many consumers still do not know about the recycling program because Apple has not widely publicized it.
Now that Apple will offer free recycling of both iPods and computers, The Computer TakeBack Campaign will work to promote the program and ensure that Apple is making it is easy for consumers to recycle. The campaign will also continue to pressure Apple to stop lobbying against legislation in states that would establish electronics takeback and recycling programs.
Apple also announced that the fifth generation iPod, iPod nano and iPod shuffle are 100 percent compliant with the upcoming restrictions of hazardous substances (RoHS) in California and Europe, which are recognized as the new global standard for environmental regulation.
iPod’s RoHS compliance comes months ahead of the July 1 deadline set by the European Union, and most of the materials covered by the RoHS directive, including mercury, cadmium, chromium VI and brominated flame retardants, were voluntarily eliminated from all Apple products years ago.
Provided by the Environmental News Service.
