Apple Goes Back To EPEAT

An anonymous reader writes with a followup to news from last weekend that Apple had turned its back on the EPEAT hardware certification standard. After hearing criticism from customers, the media, and governmental organizations that Apple wasn't being environmentally friendly, the company's Hardware Engineering VP, Bob Mansfield, wrote today that its earlier decision was a mistake, and all of Apple's eligible products are back on EPEAT. (EPEAT welcomed Apple back with open arms.) Mansfield repeated an earlier statement from Apple that EPEAT does not measure all the ways in which the company's products are environmentally friendly. Mansfield said, "For example, Apple led the industry in removing harmful toxins such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). We are the only company to comprehensively report greenhouse gas emissions for every product we make, taking into account the entire product lifecycle. And we’ve removed plastics wherever possible, in favor of materials that are more highly recyclable, more durable, more efficient and longer lasting. Perhaps most importantly, we make the most energy-efficient computers in the world and our entire product line exceeds the stringent ENERGY STAR 5.2 government standard. No one else in our industry can make that claim."

Comments

And another thing

[plover]

Mansfield went on to state that Apple would use only genuine Congalese tantalum, African conflict diamonds, rainforest teak, and Iranian oil based lubricants; and furthermore the iOS developers would smoke only Tibetan opium. "No one else in our industry can afford to make those claims, bitches!" he cackled.

At press time, the reporters were too mellow from the complimentary Afghan bud to harsh his groove. Steve Jobs could not be reached for comment.

Re:And another thing

[Tough Love]

...Steve Jobs could not be reached for comment.

Now, that's what I call digging for a story.

Re:And another thing

[v1]

Now, that's what I call digging for a story.

Yes, a grave situation to be in for sure....

Brilliant PR move

[MrEricSir]

1. Tell everyone you're leaving an environmental program
2. Issue press release saying you're not leaving
3. Use this chance to tell reporters that your products are more environmentally friendly than the competition

I have to admit it's a clever strategy.

Re:Brilliant PR move

[FellowConspirator]

Lather, rinse, EPEAT.

Re:Brilliant PR move

[StuartHankins]

If Apple takes them all back for recycling, doesn't that work? I imagine that since we're talking very popular products, anyone who receives one for recycling (and isn't Apple) will send them to Apple because of Apple's agreement. Plus they get a gift card, which is an incentive for everyone to participate. http://www.apple.com/recycling/

Re:Brilliant PR move

[westlake]

Or maybe not so brilliant.

We've recently heard from many loyal Apple customers who were disappointed to learn that we had removed our products from the EPEAT rating system. I recognize that this was a mistake. Starting today, all eligible Apple products are back on EPEAT.

A Letter From Bob Mansfield

The mistake was in ignoring the needs and values of institutional, enterprise, and governmental markets where Apple had been finally making some headway.

Organizations which have policies to require EPEAT compliance include Ford Motor Co., KPMG and Kaiser Permanente, in the private sector, as well as several universities and federal, state and municipal agencies. The U.S. government requires that 95% of the electronics purchased by its agencies be certified by EPEAT.

According to the DOE, environmental benefits of EPEAT purchasing in FY11 included an energy savings of 50 million kilowatt hours and a projected cost savings of $4.8 million.

[David Daoud, research director, PCs and Green IT, at IDC] said Apple is bound to find some resistance from buyers who aren't happy about the decision, but believes it needs only to have "a PR discussion" as to "why they're not being environmental. If you're Apple you have to look at the implications of certifying every single product. As much as I'd love to say it's a bad move, the financial guys are looking at it differently."

EPEAT Customers React to Apple's Withdrawal

PR was not enough.

EPEAT caves

[jbolden]

I think the /. summary has this a bit backwards. Just read the letter from EPEAT:

We look forward to Apple’s strong and creative thoughts on ongoing standards development. The outcome must reward new directions for both design and sustainability, simultaneously supporting the environment and the market for all manufacturers’ elegant and high-performance products.

An interesting question for EPEAT is how to reward innovations that are not yet envisioned with standards that are fixed at a point in time. Diverse goals, optional points awarded for innovations not yet described, and flexibility within specified parameters to make this happen are all on the table in EPEAT stakeholder discussions. And of course, timely standards development, as with newly created Imaging Equipment and Television standards, and the current refresh of the PC/Display standard, is critical as well.

This was a messy situation and I think EPEAT did the right thing here in moving forward on recycling standards for computers and smartphones with closed cases and non removable batteries. So I'm happy that we are going to end up with better standards for recycling and at the same time Apple doesn't break with the environmental groups. This is a win-win in terms of policy that probably wouldn't have happened if Apple hadn't publicly stormed off. But /. shouldn't be writing this up as Apple caving to criticism. Their policies on recycling (i.e. the need for an expert recycler like http://www.werecycle.com/ ) haven't changed its EPEAT that is altering policy.

Re: EPEAT caves

[daveschroeder]

Apple is more green in terms of how it makes (AND recycles) its products than any other major electronics manufacturer.

Given that Apple's credibility has dropped straight through zero into the negative zone, I for one won't be taking that claim at face value.

How do you figure, "Apple's credibility has dropped straight through zero into the negative zone"?

http://www.apple.com/environment/
http://www.apple.com/environment/faq.html
http://www.apple.com/environment/renewable-energy/
http://images.apple.com/environment/reports/
http://images.apple.com/environment/progress/
http://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/reports.html

Find any other vendor with this level of commitment, or even this level of detail on what they're doing with their products on the environment front.

epeat?

[chinton]

Is that 2.718 championships?

Not stupid at all

[Anonymous Coward]

They turned their back on EPEAT just to get the news coverage....doing something bad like that made all the haters spread the word just as much as the fans. Then, when they flip-flopped, all the haters suddenly got a nice little spiel about how they are not only EPEAT-compliant, but even better. And the haters actually paid attention because they were interested now.

And the fans are still happy because Apple is still certified now.

Excellent marketing, all-in-all.

Re:Not stupid at all

[the_B0fh]

You mean the gold rating listed here?

http://images.apple.com/environment/reports/docs/macbookpro_retinadisplay_per_june2012.pdf

Re:Not stupid at all

[beelsebob]

It looks like they were trying to cut some corners, got caught and slapped down hard.

Actually, it looks like they were trying to slap EPEAT into engaging brain... EPEAT wouldn't give the retina MBP a rating, apple throws toys out pram and yells about it being aluminium and highly recyclable... EPEAT give it a gold rating ;)

Public admission of being wrong

[frnic]

I commend Apple for saying in public "we were wrong".

Re:How much did Apple pay EPEAT?

[93 Escort Wagon]

Apple still has many products that met the EPEAT certification requirements. However, the newer products with glued batteries and screen components do not.

The MacBook Pro with Retina Display has an EPEAT Gold rating - so no, that's not it.

If you're talking about phones and tablets... currently EPEAT doesn't rate them - at all - for any manufacturer.

Good troll!

[daveschroeder]

Too bad the truth is that Apple recycles any of their products for free, and any other manufacturer's products, also for free, and it's all zero-landfill, meaning that image is completely, 100%, provably false.

But again, I know you're trolling — I'm just replying so others following this threat won't have any chance of being duped by any of your posts.