“Apple takes a holistic view of recycling, and we apply this thinking to our own manufacturing processes, the packaging of our products, and even the disposal of electronics at the end of their life cycles. We have instituted programs around the world to facilitate the recycling of electronics — diverting over 7,100 tons of equipment from landfills worldwide since 1996 — while Apple’s Team Recycle has won the California Waste Reduction Award every year since 1995.” “Apple’s product take-back program has recycled over 90% by weight of all equipment collected to date.”

“No hazardous waste from Apple’s U.S. recycling program is shipped outside North America. All recovered materials are processed domestically, with the exception of some commodity materials that can be recycled for future use. Apple’s recycling policies prohibit the use of recovered plastics as fuel in smelting.”

“Starting in June, Apple will offer a free computer take-back program for U.S. customers who buy a new Mac through the Apple Store or an Apple retail store.”

—Source: http://www.apple.com/environment/recycling/

More than 70 environmental groups have signed a letter to former Vice President Al Gore, who sits on the board of Apple, asking him to push the company to become more sustainable. Environmentalists express surprise that as America’s best-known environmental advocate, Gore would oppose shareholder resolutions—which Apple claims were unanimously voted against—asking Apple to become greener.

-- Computer TakeBack Campaign, 03/22/2007
Source URL: www.computertakeback.com/news_and_resources/letter_to_gore.cfm

Apple Computer Inc. was one of the companies included in Greenpeace International’s “E-waste Hall of Shame.” Greenpeace International discovered Apple products in their visit to a Chinese scrap yard. Apple, along with IBM, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Acer, has not committed to remove chemicals from products or be responsible for the safe recycling and responsible disposal of their products.

-- Greenpeace, 06/20/2006
Source URL: www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics/electronics/how-the-...

Greenpeace, a Washington, D.C.-based environmental advocacy group, released its annual “Guide to Greener Electronics” as part of an effort to encourage electronics companies to “clean up their act.” The Guide ranks 14 of the leading computer and mobile technology companies on a scale of one to 10 based on criteria relating to recycling, phase out of toxic chemicals and corporate responsibility issues. Apple was dead last scoring 2.7, almost a full point behind the next lowest company, Panasonic.

-- Greenpeace, 03/01/2007
Source URL: www.greenpeace.org/electronics