Retina MacBook Pro nukes Apple's green credentials
Eco body urges hippies to return Foxconn-marketer's gear
The tightly packed new Apple MacBook Pro prevents the laptop from meeting requirements laid down by eco-friendly technology catalogue EPEAT.
The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) announced on Monday that the shiny Retina-display lap warmer is "difficult to disassemble for upgrades, repairs, and recycling - and could force the green-minded to rethink Apple loyalties".
The iPad and iPhone maker pulled all 39 of its products from the EPEAT's registry of "green gadgets" last week. All of the company's gear previously had gold ratings from EPEAT.
It's a shock turnabout because Apple has long prided itself on how environmentally friendly its gadgets are, boasting its green credentials and in particular the gold certification, until now of course.
Teardown website iFixit speculated that the glued-on battery in the Pro is to blame. The EPEAT standards specify that machines must be easy to disassemble in order for parts to be recycled or upgraded [PDF].
iFixit writers described their experience of taking apart the new MacBook Pro:
That’s why it’s such a problem when manufacturers glue batteries into place with industrial-strength adhesive. When we originally tore down the Retina MacBook Pro, we could not separate the battery from the upper case. The next day, after a lot of elbow grease, we were finally able to get them apart—but in the process punctured the battery, leaking hazardous goo all over.
El Reg asked Apple to clarify why it withdrew from the certification process. We have yet to hear back from Cupertino.
The lack of EPEAT certification disqualifies US government departments and schools from buying Apple's reassuringly expensive gear as they have to abide by environment-supporting rules when purchasing technology. ®
COMMENTS
read article?
Did you read the whole article? it says that experienced techies weren't able to remove the battery without puncturing it. That means it cannot "be gotten apart safely".
Green is not only about assembly and disposal it's also about how easy it is to maintain. Apple products are designed to last till 1 day after the warranty and be as un-user serviceable as possible.
Hence the big black mark.
what you think Apple's 4,700 US staff actually do.
hang about poncy coffee shops in poncy tee-shirts, bein all poncy i guess
This machine will self destruct in 2 years!
Bunch of clever b******s aren't they.
Solder the memory so if it fails $300 or so Apple profit.
Solder the SSD so if it fails $600 or so Apple profit.
Glue the whole battery so it is too dangerous to handle when it fails so $200 profit to Apple.
This item is worse than a $10 tranny which goes straight into the garbage truck when it goes wrong.
Will anyone actually care?
From my experience of environmental types (especially environmental types who own Apple products), this won't make much of a difference. Environmentalism is a massive bandwagon and very few people in on it are really that interested in it if it inconveniences them.
We have yet to hear back from Cupertino.
Heh who didn't see that one coming.
