New power cables will make Apple products even more eco-friendly
Volex will spend up to $6 million this year to produce halogen-free power cables that are less harmful to the environment when disposed, according to London Evening Standard (via GigaOm). The company will design and make new cables and will suffer a one-time cost as a result.
The report said the change is as a result of a "green push" by Apple. For years Apple has designed its products with the environment behind, and usually highlights the EPEAT, or Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, ratings of products at highly publicized keynotes.
Halogens included in electronic products can be a hazard to the environment if they are burned after they are thrown away. Burning halogen releases dioxins and furans into the atmosphere, which has caused concern in recent years as the presence of those chemicals has been growing in soil.
For years now, Apple has had a special section of its website devoted to the company's environmental footprint. It boasts that just 2 percent of the company's total carbon footprint came from facilities in 2010, while 98 percent came from product life cycle.
Even though Apple has made its environmental efforts well publicized, the company has still found itself under fire on occasion from groups like Greenpeace, which this year criticized a new data center the company built in North Carolina. But later last year, it was revealed that Apple plans to build a solar farm across from its North Carolina data center.
14 Comments
I wish more companies would take this approach.
It's also smart that Apple throws how green they are in your face at every turn. If they're gonna be green, they might as well get the advertisement for it (I mean- who just does it because its the right thing).
Well ... Apple approach is to get rid of cables ... so , yes, in that respect, nothing can be more user friendly ...
They would get more credibility if they could reduce the SAR rating.
It's obviously not bad enough to get a cauliflower ear but it is still relative high risk.
I wish more companies would take this approach.
It's also smart that Apple throws how green they are in your face at every turn. If they're gonna be green, they might as well get the advertisement for it (I mean- who just does it because its the right thing).
Yes, more companies should do their damnedest to be green. But I believe Apple and I am sure others, do it first and foremost because it is the right thing. Its long term-ism. People and companies who scoff at environmentalism are stupid. Not everyone can afford to take the steps they ought to but for any profitable company not to try their best to minimize their ecological footprint is pretty inexcusable today. That you can advertise the fact that you do and gain trust and customer loyalty as a result is par for the course. Be nice and people like you, right?
Yes, more companies should do their damnedest to be green. But I believe Apple and I am sure others, do it first and foremost because it is the right thing. Its long term-ism. People and companies who scoff at environmentalism are stupid. Not everyone can afford to take the steps they ought to but for any profitable company not to try their best to minimize their ecological footprint is pretty inexcusable today. That you can advertise the fact that you do and gain trust and customer loyalty as a result is par for the course. Be nice and people like you, right?
yup.