"We are disappointed that Apple chose to withdraw from EPEAT and we hope that the city saying it will not buy Apple products will make Apple reconsider its participation,"
Melanie Nutter, director of San Francisco's Department of Environment, told Joel Schechtman on the Wall Street Journal's CIO Journal. A month ago, Apple announced that it will no longer submit its devices to the non-profit EPEAT for green certification. Because they believe that EPEAT was not hardware recycling but more on measuring toxins. Green certification was given if the products are recyclable and designed to do minimal harm to the environment and to maximize energy efficiency.
CNET, Dara Kerr says that Apple has responded to the criticism. Apple cites its own "rigorous environmental standards" for ensuring that its products are green; as the company tells The Loop, its own standards are not those used by EPEAT. Apple spokesperson Kristin Huguet noted that Apple "leads the industry" in reporting greenhouse gas emissions via its website. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a method for consumers to evaluate the effect of a product on the environment. It is assessing lifecycle environmental standards and ranks products. In order to meet the standards, recyclers need to be able to easily disassemble products, with common tools, to separate toxic components, like batteries. But the Apple products are cannot be readily taken apart as their components are glued together. "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." The decision of San Francisco officials to ban any Apple products to their city will have a minimal impact on the latter company. Many schools and universities are also considering to not buy any Apple products due to environmental safety concerns.
San Francisco is "prominent in environmental circles, and many local governments from around the country look to his office for guidance on green purchasing." Many cities and counties will follow what San Francisco does, says Geiger.
Environmental safety is very important. We should be responsible for every modern creation we made because it will not only affect the environment but also the human being. If we are careless with our waste products the toxins that come from it will harm the people and also all the living things that live within.
The move of Apple is big news for everyone because if they don't allow their products to be submitted to test how will the consumer will proved that their products are safe for everyone. We should all be observant and be a responsible citizen of this world. We should not only think ourselves but also all the things that surround us.
