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Greenpeace and Apple: Can you feel the love tonight?

by Steven Sande Jan 8th 2010 at 10:00AM

Environmental activist group Greenpeace and Apple haven't exactly been good buddies in the past. For example, in the past Greenpeace slammed Apple with a mock Apple website, had fig-leaf clad representatives visit the first Apple Store in continental Europe, and "greened" the flagship Apple Store in San Francisco. Radical representatives of the group had been ejected from MacExpo London in 2006 for being disruptive, and Greenpeace had assigned Apple low scores in a 2006 e-waste report.

Apparently, the greens and the geeks have kissed and made up, since Apple was ranked #1 in the top 18 consumer electronics company in terms of reduction or elimination of hazardous chemicals in the manufacture of its products. As seen in the Greenpeace table on the next page, Apple was squeaky-clean across its product line, including desktop and laptop computers, phones, and monitors:
However, Greenpeace is still jilting Apple like an impetuous lover pointing out flaws. Overall, Apple was in the middle of the pack of companies in terms of overall "greenness." The enviros spanked Apple for reducing the number of web pages dedicated to information about its supply chain and future plans for toxic chemical phase-outs. Apple has made significant gains since the dark days of the relationship in 2006, but apparently still isn't the perfect soulmate in the eyes of Greenpeace.

[via LoopInsight]

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Environmental activist group Greenpeace and Apple haven't exactly been good buddies in the past. For example, in the past Greenpeace...
 

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Charles R Hamilton

It warms my heart that Greenpeace is seen for what it is here at TUAW.

Now, about the "Global Warming" crowd...

January 09 2010 at 8:22 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
CVP

wow thats alot of white stars...

January 08 2010 at 9:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Eideard

After forty-plus years of eco-activism, I haven't a boatload of respect for Greenpeace either - as others on this page have noted.

My presumption also is that Apple has always been cognizant of - and supportive of - essential Green requirements. Fulfilling them as quickly as possible.

Greenpeace's understanding of science and scientific methods is about as spooky as the bible-thumping creationists often on the opposing side of environmental issues. I trust the findings of both - about as far as I could throw James Inhofe uphill into a heavy wind.

January 08 2010 at 8:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Howie Isaacks

Big deal! I never cared about this anyway.

January 08 2010 at 5:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
miike

I suppose not having removable batteries that consumers could just throw in the trash helps Apple's image to a cleaner environment too...

January 08 2010 at 1:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
pax copia

I adore and admire Greenpeace. Without them the world would simply be darker.

January 08 2010 at 11:30 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
umijin

If you bought the new Magic Mouse, you know how wasteful Apple's packaging for that product is - as much plastic as in the mouse itself, and not really useful for anything else. Though Apple may be doing a better job with laptops and desktops, this is atrocious.

January 08 2010 at 11:20 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to umijin's comment
mrtotes

Why would *anyone* buy an Apple mouse though?

;-p

(Mac user since 'ADB Mouse' days)

----

I'm glad to see Apple getting greener still. There's enough people burying their heads in the sand about the use of resources that every little helps.

January 08 2010 at 12:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Matt

Perhaps if Apple sold all of it's products with a hat made of solar panels instead of a power supply then GreenPeace would be happy?

January 08 2010 at 10:46 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Matt's comment
Steven Sande

Are you kidding? Then Greenpeace would get on their case for not making the hats out of sustainable hemp material, using photovoltaic panels instead of little wind turbines, and using Chinese labor to make the hats.

Until Apple makes invisible computers powered by unicorn tears, Greenpeace will not be happy... and then they'll start complaining about Apple abusing unicorns.

Steve

January 08 2010 at 11:02 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sam

Greenpeace is often annoying, but part of affecting change is directing public attention, and that's where these "stunts" come in. As they say, "the squeaky wheel gets the oil."

Couching this article in these greens vs geeks / impetuous lover business is total crap. Apple was publicly shamed into doing the right thing - call a spade a spade.

The way Apple responded was good, and they should do what they can to continue improving their products with respect to their environmental impact.

Any reason that they shouldn't?

January 08 2010 at 11:30 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mark

Greenpeace, you don't win over people to your cause by acting like juvenile delinquents. If that is really how they act, companies should hire people to rough their activists up.

My friends and I got a good laugh one day going to the Greenpeace store in S.F. and asking for a military discount at the cash register.

January 08 2010 at 10:45 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
holo

They're never happy are they?

January 08 2010 at 10:37 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to holo's comment
macserv

No, but maybe they finally decided to start ranking companies based on what they ARE doing to conserve, rather than what they've promised to do in the future, or what alliances they've joined.

January 08 2010 at 8:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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