Apple
scolded by Greenpeace for environmental
policies
By Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service
Apple got low marks for eco-friendly policies from Greenpeace in a
survey of electronics companies by the environmental group. The
Cupertino, Calif.-based computer maker ranks fourth from the bottom
in Greenpeaces survey, finishing ahead of only Acer, Motorola, and
Lenovo.
For a company that claims to lead on product design, Apple scores
badly on almost all criteria, Greenpeace said in its Green
Electronics Guide. The report, published every three months, scores
companies on their use of hazardous chemicals, recycling, and
take-back policies. It uses information published by the
companies.
Apple doesnt publish a list of regulated substances it uses in its
products, Greenpeace said. The environmental group also faulted
Apple for not releasing timelines for eliminating polyvinyl
chlorides (PVCs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), and only
selling a few peripheral items free of PVCs.
While Apple has take-back programs in place in some countries, it
reports the weight of recycled products and not the percentage of
sales, Greenpeace said. Apple received one positive mark, for not
exporting e-waste, an issue for developing countries that may
mishandle hardware with toxic substances.
Apple said it disagreed with Greenpeaces ratings and criteria. The
computer company said it has eliminated cathode ray tube monitors
containing lead from its product lines along with cadmium and
hexavalent chromium in manufacturing.
A small amount of mercury is used in Apples flat-panel displays,
as the element is used throughout the industry for backlight lamps,
the company said. Apple is looking for an alternative.
Apple defended its environmental record at this years annual
shareholder meeting in April, noting that a lot of the eco-friendly
efforts made by the company get overlooked because they happen
behind the scenes.
Mobile phone giant Nokia received the highest rating in
Greenpeaces survey. It scored highly for eliminating its use of
PVCs, which are widely used but difficult-to-recycle plastics that
cause the release of dioxin, another toxin, when manufactured. The
Finnish company plans to stop using BFRs by the start of 2007,
Greenpeace said.
Lenovo, which took over IBMs PC business in May 2005, came last on
Greenpeaces list. The company has not committed to eliminating
PVCs or BFRs or defined a precautionary principle, a set of
guidelines governing actions that could cause environmental damage,
according to Greenpeace. The vendor also has a limited take-back
policy in some countries which Greenpeace called partially
bad.
Lenovo disputed the findings, saying it offers recycling to all of
its business customersa service not detailed on its Web site.
Lenovo has continued IBMs Environmental Management System, a
program that covers manufacturing and product design, and is
meshing that system with its own, pre-existing environmental
policy, it said.
Lenovo meets or exceeds applicable environmental regulations
globally, and we don't believe Greenpeaces ranking accurately
reflects Lenovos environmental record, the company said in a
statement.
None of the companies scored perfectly. Even first-place Nokia, for
example, doesnt release figures on the number of units it
recycles, according to Greenpeace. The vendor should also more
clearly define its precautionary principle, the environmental group
said.
Other companies that scored well for their environmental policies
were Dell and Hewlett-Packard.
