Less toxic iPods rock
Yesterday Steve Jobs announced Apple new iPod line up. Here’s the bit that really got our attention about the new models:
• Arsenic-free glass
• Brominated flame retardant-free
• Mercury-free
• PVC-free
It’s great to see Apple dropping toxic chemicals like PVC, BFRs and mercury in their latest products and a victory for everyone who supported our Green my Apple campaign. In May 2007 Steve Jobs stated that Apple would improve its environmental record by removing toxic chemicals by the end of 2008 and boosting recycling by 2010.
While these iPods may rock what would really shake up the computer industry is if Apple sticks to its promise and becomes the first company to make personal computers free of toxic PVC and BFR’s. That would be truly groundbreaking announcement.
To get a bit techie for a sec – it’s simpler to make small devices like phones, iPods etc without PVC and brominated flame retardants because they use less power (so generate less heat) and have few components. That’s why Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung have phones already free of these toxic chemicals but no company has yet cracked it for computers.
Now what we’d really like for Christmas is to see Apple remove toxic chemicals from all its products, and announce a free, global recycling scheme. That would make a very tasty green Apple.
We’re also keeping up the pressure on all the major electronic companies to remove toxic chemicals, improve recycling and be more climate friendly with our quarterly Guide to Greener Electronics. With several companies having committed to significant improvements at the end of 2008 or in 2009 it should be an interesting few months for green electronics.
More: ABC news, Ecotechdaily
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Comments
This is great news -- congratulations to everyone involved in the GreenMyApple campaign!
Posted by: Eoin | September 10, 2008 2:04 PM
> Now what we’d really like for Christmas...
It's never just a straight up acknowledgement, is it. It's always more demands, always the backhanded compliment. It's this kind of attitude that pushed me away from Greenpeace years ago.
Posted by: Todd | September 11, 2008 5:26 PM
@ Todd -- isn't that what we call progress? The whole 'reason for being' of a campaigning org like Greenpeace is to keep moving the goalposts.
Posted by: Adam Vaughan![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://weblog.greenpeace.org/makingwaves/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 12, 2008 4:29 PM
Can I suggest that you now update the main Apple campaign page to remove the now-inaccurate claims about iPods?
Or preferably dump this whole cynical campaign. As you repeatedly - but never prominently - acknowledge, all computer manufacturers face the same technological hurdles, and have products of similar toxicity. If anything, Apple are currently the best of the bunch. But going for Apple gets headlines, so hey, go for them. You nasty bunch of bullies.
Posted by: Karl Smith | September 13, 2008 6:08 AM