Apple decides to submit its computers for environmental certification again.
Apple fans can rejoice knowing the company’s devices will be certified as environmentally friendly again.
Apple, on July 13, announced that its products would again be certified by the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, an environmental certification for electronics created by manufacturers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The issue started on July 6, when Apple announced it would no longer send its technology to EPEAT for certification. Apple never officially explained the reasoning. However, Robert Frisbee, EPEAT’s CEO, speculated that the screen and battery on the newest MacBook Pro were difficult to remove and recycle.
After backlash from consumers, Apple announced after a week that it would go back to submitting its products to EPEAT.
“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,” Bob Mansfield, Apple’s senior vice president for hardware engineering, said in a statement. “I recognize that this was a mistake. Starting [July 13], all eligible Apple products are back on EPEAT.”
Apple potentially stood to lose business from its withdrawal from EPEAT, as many universities and government agencies only purchase certified technology, according to Reuters. In particular, San Francisco officials said the city would not purchase computers that lacked the certification, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The company’s decision to have its products again be certified only affects its desktop and laptop computers, as EPEAT currently does not certify mobile devices like the iPhone or the iPad tablet, according to CNN.
“Our engineering teams have worked incredibly hard over the years to make our products even more environmentally friendly, and much of our progress has come in areas not yet measured by EPEAT,” Mansfield said.
Does this announcement change your perspective of Apple computers? When in the market for an energy saving computer, how important is it to you that the device by certified by agencies like EPEAT?
