EPEAT responds to iFixit's complaints
updated 04:22 pm EDT, Fri October 19, 2012
EPEAT says it's not flawless, but is the most effective standard
EPEAT has issued an official response to iFixit founder Kyle Wiens' missive dismissing the standard as flawed in the wake of the organization's decision to grant the Retina MacBook Pro EPEAT Gold certification. In a letter sent to Electronista, EPEAT defends it decision, noting that it does not claim to be a flawless standard but that it is the most effective standard.
In a lengthy piece on Wired, Weins claimed that the granting of EPEAT Gold status for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro -- with its uncommon screws and glued in components -- meant that the standard was essentially compromised, with the green technology movement at something of an inflection point as a result.
In its response, EPEAT notes that its standard does not specifically address things such as glued-in components, as the standard was developed 2005, "before slates and ultralight products were anywhere near as significant as they are now." Because of that, the standard does not address the environmental implications of these products as well as it might, though EPEAT's letter notes that it has begun the process to update its standards in order to address recent developments in the computer market.
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Sometimes, I think critics are often looking to create problems rather than to help solve them. The key is for the industry to adopt a mechanism to support glued components and speciality screws. Increasingly, glue is becoming a cost and weight-effective way to mount certain components in computers without necessitating an additional fastening bracket. Computer designs have changed and are increasingly dominated by ultrabook, smartphone and tablet architectures, which are increasingly reliant on speciality screws and other ways of bonding materials. EPEAT will need to evolve to encompass ultrabooks, tablets, and smartphones in the same manner as it has traditionally covered computers as these will represent the bulk of the computing devices of the future. This was one of the key reasons Apple was a little frustrated with EPEAT. Apple sell tons of iPhones, iPads, and ultra books, and none of the EPEAT standards are geared towards handling these kinds of devices.