Greenpeace has apologised to Apple due to the faulty analysis used by Greenpeace.

See article:
"Greenpeace Apologizes for Apple Stink"

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Home/ABC6DFDA-9DE9-4EA8-A269-65EAAB628676.html

This is #56 in digg.

Greenpeace are a bunch of great people but they aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer. An analysis like this is way over their heads. It was irresponsible for them to publish this report as the data and methodologies are all screwed up.

Greenpeace has apologized to Apple due to the faulty analysis used by Greenpeace.

See article:
Greenpeace Apologizes for Apple Stink"

http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Home/ABC6DFDA-9DE9-4EA8-A269-65EAAB628676.html

This is #56 in digg.

Greenpeace are a bunch of great people but they aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer. An analysis like this is way over their heads. It was irresponsible for them to publish this report as the data and methodologies are all screwed up.

"Some have taken umbrage with the methodology of Greenpeace's rating system. But it is complicated subject, and hardly anyone else has taken a stab at it (only the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition comes to mind)."

This is completely untrue. See:

Apple is a Green Leader After All (CNET)

"US EPA's procurement website for
green IT equipment ranks Apple as a top performer. Apple
desktop, portable and computer monitors clean the floor on the
2006 international IEEE standard for environmental assessment
www.epeat.net"

http://news.com.com/5208-1014-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=20672&messageID=180992&start=-1

The EPA has a much better handle on these issues than Greenpeace. I deal with these issues everyday and (although I am a member of Greenpeace) I have to say their analysis criteria is a little half baked. (or if it's like my Greenpeace friends, completely baked :)

Treehugger, why do you give Greenpeace a free pass for their inaccurate piece of PR? Do I take umbrage at Greenpeace's methodology? Of course I do when it is, by their own admission, wrong. And hardly anyone else has taken a stab at this complex subjet? I's posit that EPEAT's program is far more comprehensive than Greenpeace's "evaluation."

So why is Greenpeace targeting Apple? Headlines, pure and simple. And why do they continue to push this program, when they've already had to admit that their work is faulty? Again, sensationalism.

My respect for Greenpeace, because of this and other missteps, is now zero. Championing environmental protection and awareness is a noble cause (which is why I read Treehugger), but doing it by way of half-truths, inaccuracy, and "truthiness" isn't the right way. The ends do not justify the means.

Thank you for your comments everybody. There is some behind the scenes discussion going on among TH writers about this, and we'll probably come out with a new post about the GP thing. Stay tuned.

This has caused quite a stir on an Apple forum here in Canada...

http://www.ehmac.ca/showthread.php?t=44990

Note that EPEAT is in fact a procurement tool for *new* computers and does not consider a company's "legacy" electronics - one of the main issues that both Greenpeace and SVTC focus on. Therefore it is certainly inappropriate to claim that EPEAT will reveal the best environmental performer in a holistic way. The present wave of discarded CRT-based monitors and computers should not end up in our landfills or incinerators, nor be put on a boat to China, India or Nigeria. -The aim of these groups is to get companies to recycle responsibly.

However, there is one mandatory criteria - 4.6.1.1 of EPEAT found at http://www.epeat.net - Provision of product take-back service - "The marketing and sale to institutions of all covered products shall include the option to purchase, at a competitive price, a take-back or recycling service that meets the U.S. EPA environmental standard defined in the “Plug-In to eCycling Guidelines for Materials Management,” published May 2004."

But note that this requirement does not mention anything about a free take-back service to consumers. Take a look at Dell's policy... http://www.dell.com/environment "Michael Dell Announces Free Recycling of Dell-Branded Products For Consumers Globally"

Wait, apple already has a first class recycling program in place. Not only that, but when you buy your first mac, they'll take your old computer of any brand and recycle it.

http://www.apple.com/environment/

I think greenpeace is definitely in this for the publicity, plain and simple, and frankly, that is reprehensible.

Two major problems with their recycling program:

You have to buy a new computer before they will recycle your old one.

They don't accept products for recycling at any of their stores.

This essentially means that they are not willing to cover the costs of recycling.

I have less of a problem with their recycling program because there's a household hazardous waste drop off near my house, and they take everything for free.

But I think Apple is the perfect company to green their computers. They produce a lot of custom parts (unlike other companies who buy off-the-shelf parts), and Al Gore is on the board, and Steve Jobs is an environmentalist.

That is not true; my local Apple store took several old Macs for recycling, never even mentioned any need to buy a Mac. They even tagged the better Mac of the bunch to be re-used in a free computer program to supply computers for local lower income students.

Seems like they are being fairly (even aggressively) responsible to me.

Also, many studies show Mac users use their computers a little over twice as long as a PC. Older Macs are much easier to sell on Ebay as well. This greatly reduces the number of Macs headed to the landfill. I use a 6 year old Mac and see no need to replace it; it actually runs better and better as Apple refines OS X, and its still plenty powerful emough to edit video and use photoshop. My wife on the other hand is on her second PC, and it isn't running that great. A lot of people just chuck their PCs when they get fed up with problems that are too time consuming to sort out.

Also, I find this focus on Apple a little odd. After all, they are tiny in the greater scheme of computing, having less than 5% of the computer market. My personal experience is that they are far more concerned with green issues than any other business I've done business with.

To previous commenter:

If that's true, then Apple should publish their policy of accepting any Apple product for recycling.

Make it a worldwide policy! They could get a lot of good publicity from that.

Go, GP! Make those Mac-Snobs see the light - that they are falling behind crappy PC-makers like Dell when it comes to something other than slick design.

If given the chance wouldn't you want to be able to use a green computer? Greenpeace is bringing attention to Apple because they are known for being innovative. They know that Apple has the power to start a “revolution” of sorts for the computer industry. Apple fans should be supporting something that would put Apple way in front of the competition.

They would be better off courting Dell. They sell more computers and most are corporate accounts.

Uh, Carl, did you read any of the above posts? GP isn't looking so smart with this extremely flawed report. GP put a lot of effort into an Apple bashing website based on an incompetent analysis.

Apple: GREEN MY APPLE! :D

About the roughlydrafted post: Greenpeace Apologizes?!
It doesn't look so, reading the Greenpeace response to Roughlydrafted:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/electronics/greenpeace-response/response-to-roughly-drafted

Did you read it? Better to read both side before, no?

Go Greenpeace! Greenpeaces intent was to nudge Apple in a more green direction. For this they have succeeded. Apple uses proprietary software and batteries. The world needs more free and open software (FOOS) and user operated batteries. Take the ipod: the battery breaks you have to ship it back. Shipping all these batteries are around the world creates green house gases. Apple could easily make some pods and computers that run on AA batteries and lower their eco footprint while their at it.

My macbook is helping me make a better tomorrow