Apple drops in Greenpeace rankings
updated 12:20 pm EDT, Wed June 25, 2008
Apple falls in Greenpeace
Apple has slipped in terms of environmental friendliness, claims Greenpeace. The activist group has published a new edition of its Guide to Greener Electronics, and whereas in the last rankings Apple jumped from 2.7 to 6.7 -- due to the release of the less toxic MacBook Air -- the company has since slipped to just 4.1, marking it as an offending company.
The drop is attributed to stricter overall criteria, under which companies are required to support cuts to greenhouse gases dictated by treaties such as Kyoto, and enforce them within their operations. Corporations can also no longer rely on the efficiency of their products and production process, as Greenpeace says it is considering direct and indirect carbon footprints.
While Apple is praised for products that meet or exceed the Energy Star 4.0 standard, it is said to fail in all other forms of energy efficiency, as well as in its e-waste policies. Helping to redeem the company are more and more products without dangerous chemicals, such as newer iMacs and iPods. Apple has working to eliminate materials like arsenic, PVC and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from its devices since late last year.
The only two companies to rate positively in Guide are Sony and Sony Ericsson, both at 5.1, thanks in part to even greater emphasis on reducing toxicity, and in the case of the former making commitments to lowering greenhouse gas output. Companies below Apple include Sharp, Lenovo, LG and Microsoft; one of the worst is still said to be Nintendo, although it has improved slightly since the last review.
TAGS :
sony, industry, Microsoft, Greenpeace, Nintendo, LG, Sharp, Lenovo, MacBook Air, environmental, Sony Ericsson, Apple
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999
greenpiece?
the title should read "Apple drops in Greenpeace rankings, but does anyone care?"