Apple Pulls Products from Environmental EPEAT Registry

epeatApple has notified the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) that it is withdrawing its products from the EPEAT registry and will no longer be submitting its products to EPEAT for environmental rating. CIO Journal spoke with Robert Frisbee, CEO of EPEAT, who offered slightly more color to the decision:

“They said their design direction was no longer consistent with the EPEAT requirements,” Frisbee said. The company did not elaborate, Frisbee said. “They were important supporters and we are disappointed that they don’t want their products measured by this standard anymore.”

EPEAT certification requires certain standards that make the machines easy to disassemble and recycle using common tools. Apple's recent Mac products, such as the Retina MacBook Pro, are difficult to fully disassemble making them ineligible for certification. iFixIt explains:

According to my EPEAT contacts, Apple’s mobile design direction is in conflict with the intended direction of the standard. Specifically, the standard lays out particular requirements for product “disassemble-ability,” a very important consideration for recycling: “External enclosures, chassis, and electronic subassemblies shall be removable with commonly available tools or by hand.”

The move could have a financial impact on Apple's sales. CIO Reports that many corporations require EPEAT certified computers. Meanwhile, the U.S. government requires 95% of electronics purchases also be EPEAT certified.

The move does not seem to affect Apple's popular iPhone and iPad devices, as they are presently a class of product not certified by EPEAT.

Top Rated Comments

Theclamshell Avatar
146 months ago
EPEAT certification requires certain standards that make the machines easy to disassemble and recycle using common tools.

*Stops wondering why Apple pulled products*
Score: 73 Votes (Like | Disagree)
east85 Avatar
146 months ago
This is a pretty sad moment, honestly. I mean this was helpful on the user end as well, even if you don't give a crap about the environment. It made their products more easily repairable and accessible for maintenance.
Score: 65 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bluush Avatar
146 months ago
Who cares about the safety of the planet, I just want my computer to be a few millimeters thinner!

Exactly. So many Apple fans will demonize EPEAT over this in an attempt to brush over what a lame move by Apple this is. The stereotype that Mac users are nothing but liberals who pretend to care about social and environmental issues but deep down really don't care at all is validated by this move on Apple's part. Bypassing EPEAT just to have a new barely thinner laptop to release each year to please the crowds is not really the kind of company I like to do business with.
Score: 62 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macingman Avatar
146 months ago
Interesting, I guess in the pursuit of thiness Apple is forced to use things which aren't enviromentally friendly like glue or whatever. Interesting as Apple used to use enviromental friendliness as a major selling point a few years back.
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BlazednSleepy Avatar
146 months ago
To be honest, I'm a little disappointed in apple. I always appreciated the fact that these computers were highly recyclable and better on the environment than most electronics now a days. I figured apple would somehow develop a way to get these batteries off safely so they can be recycled.

If this is the way technology is going to become, getting smaller and lighter but less conscious about the world we live in then I'm not for it.:(
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pyrrhic Victory Avatar
146 months ago
Who cares about the safety of the planet, I just want my computer to be a few millimeters thinner!
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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