iPods gets Greenpeace thumbs up

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 11 Sep 2008 at 14:43

Greenpeace has praised Apple for dropping a bevy of harmful materials from its iPods, but has warned it still expects more from the company.

Announcing the new iPod range at its "Let's Rock" event in San Francisco, Steve Jobs made special mentions of Apple's efforts to introduce arsenic-free glass, and remove mercury, PVC and BFRs from its iPod line-up, a move which Greenpeace claimed was down to its lobbying.

"It's great to see Apple dropping toxic chemicals like PVC, BFRs and mercury in its latest products and a victory for everyone who supported our Green my Apple campaign... while these iPods may rock what would really shake up the computer industry is if Apple sticks to its promise and becomes the first company to make personal computers free of toxic PVC and BFRs. That would be truly groundbreaking announcement."

The environmental organisation then went on to heap further pressure on Apple's green credentials: "It's simpler to make small devices like phones, iPods etc without PVC and brominated flame retardants because they use less power (so generate less heat) and have few components. That's why Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung have phones already free of these toxic chemicals but no company has yet cracked it for computers.

Now what we'd really like for Christmas is to see Apple remove toxic chemicals from all its products, and announce a free, global recycling scheme. That would make a very tasty green Apple."