Apple Pulls All Its Products From EPEAT Green Certification

Apple has pulled all 39 of its certified products from the U.S. government backed registration of environmentally friendly electronics, known as EPEAT, reports the WSJ.

Apple asked EPEAT, the electronics standards setting group, to pull its 39 certified desktop computers, monitors and laptops, which included past versions of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, off the list of green products late last month, Robert Frisbee, CEO of EPEAT told CIO Journal. EPEAT, created through funding by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and manufacturers, awards products a seal to certify they are recyclable and designed to maximize energy efficiency and minimize environmental harm.

"They said their design direction was no longer consistent with the EPEAT requirements," Frisbee said. "They were important supporters and we are disappointed that they don't want their products measured by this standard anymore."

Notably this request follows the release of the Retina Display MacBook Pro which features a battery that is glued to the case and a glass display that is glued to its back. Frisbee said that the new notebook would have been ineligible for certification. "If the battery is glued to the case it means you can't recycle the case and you can't recycle the battery," Frisbee said.

It appears likely that Apple plans to apply this technique to much of its lineup and thus would no longer be eligible for EPEAT certification.

Read More