In the retiring yr , Apple stretch its recycling course of study to permit U.S. customer safely dispose of older computers ( personal computer as well as Macs ) and iPods when they buy a raw computer . That curriculum is just part of Apple ’s effort to recycle old electronics , which the companydetails on its Web site . You could sure debate that Apple could be doing more with its environmental policies , but you ca n’t deny that it is doing something . Indeed , earlier this yr , the investment advisor to the Sierra Club Fundsrecognized Apple and nine other publicly - traded big cap companiesfor “ excellence in their environmental crusade . ”
So what does Greenpeace , another environmental organisation , have to say about all this ?
“ Apple ’s bad green policy is not a wonderful life sentence for workers in the chip yards of the developing world , ” Rick Hind , the legislative conductor of Greenpeace USA ’s Toxics campaign announce viapress releaseWednesday . “ And we ca n’t imagine that Steve Jobs would want to be the Mr. Potter of the high-pitched - tech industry this holiday time of year . ”
Well , that seems pretty cl … wha ?
The quotation mark above get along as Greenpeace unblock a quarterly update on tech companies ’ efforts to combat electronic waste . Apple was the lowest - ranked companionship in Wednesday ’s update , just as it was in the initial report card relinquish back in August . The Greenpeace report card ranks the 14 top producer of computers and cellular phone sound on everything from chemical policies to stimulate satisfactory recycling programs in place to “ taking responsibility for waste . ” Since those are pretty subjective measure , it seems like Apple finished in last piazza pretty much because Greenpeace decided the society would .
I ’m not trying to be light-minded with that observation . It seems Greenpeace ’s biggest beef with Apple is that the computer Creator has n’t made enough promise for its liking . “ We ’ve been receive with Apple for three years now , ” Greenpeace hunting expedition coordinator Zeina Alhajj toldMacworld ’s Jim Dalrymple . “ We have asked for a committedness , but Apple said , ‘ We do n’t give commitments , we do thing . ’ We have n’t date any dedication , so far . ”
Of course , one can credibly understand Apple ’s hesitation to work with Greenpeace , considering the organization set up aWeb sitethat seems to propose that the only matter that would make Apple a bigger defiler is if Steve Jobs was behind the bike ofthe Exxon Valdez . I do n’t know about you , but if an organization treated me like that , I would start to think that peradventure it was less concerned about working with my ship’s company to pass on constructive , mutually agreeable solutions and more interested in using my company ’s gamy profile to gain ground attention and publicity . But I ’m cynical that room — I’m sure the recognizability of Apple ’s brand is the furthest affair from Greenpeace ’s mind when it decides who ’s been gamy and who ’s been courteous .
I do n’t mean to absolve Apple of any responsibility here . I ’m trusted people can go through its recycling policies and find areas for betterment . I would n’t mind Apple ready its bandstand on these things more visible — there ’s apop - up linkat the bottom ofApple ’s on-line store pagebut nothing visible on the home page . And the fellowship could be better about address these issues in the media — we reach Apple as part of our coverage of the Greenpeace report , and it would have been nice if someone in the companionship would have yell back to explain exactly what Apple is doing to cut down electronic waste .
But if Apple ’s public travail could stand some improvement , so could Greenpeace ’s by a long injection . If the goal is to make it so that computers are made and disposed of in an environmentally - friendly style — and it should be — then it would seem like the smart move would be to employ Apple ’s gamey - profile positively , not as some sort of piñata to be bashed in public every couple of calendar month . The latter overture might win you the publicity conflict , but it ’s unlikely to avail you advance the war .
