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Tell Apple Directors: Stop iWaste
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Progressive Portal
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Apr 20, 2005 12:10 PDT
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APPLE LOBBIES AGAINST CURBS ON TOXIC ELECTRONIC WASTE,
LACKS AN EFFECTIVE RECYCLING PROGRAM FOR OBSOLETE PRODUCTS
Act now: Apple's annual meeting is 21 Apr 2005 **
[From the Computer TakeBack Campaign <http://www.computertakeback.com>]
Apple Computer has always cultivated an image as a hip, progressive
innovator, but with regard to disposition of old computers and other
toxin-laced electronic gear consumers no longer want, the company isn't
"Thinking Different" - it's sticking its head in the sand.
Computers, monitors, and other high-tech products contain a variety of
potentially dangerous materials, including substantial amounts of lead,
mercury, and brominated flame retardants. If such equipment goes into
landfills, the toxins could eventually leach out into our air, land, and
water, poisoning our brains and reproductive and nervous systems. If, as
is often the case, the scrap is instead shipped to Asia for "recycling,"
it is often disassembled and reprocessed in complete disregard for the
dangers posed to the workers involved, their communities, and the
environment.
Other major computer makers have gradually, sometimes grudgingly, come
to recognize that the problem - known as e-waste or i-waste - is real
and that they must take some responsibility for it. Apple, however, has
not.
Dell and Hewlett-Packard, for example, have developed programs that
encourage their customers to recycle old equipment, and they've worked
with environmentalists and state officials on legislation to prevent
dumping. Apple, on the other hand, has no effective program to recycle
discarded Macintosh computers or iPod music players (in the United
States, that is - the company has no problem operating such programs in
Europe and Japan, where they are required by law). Apple representatives
have also actively lobbied against legislation to curb toxic electronic
waste, and it lags behind its PC rivals in efforts to eliminate toxic
materials from its products.
The iPod is Apple's latest contribution not just to the digital
lifestyle, but also to the e-waste problem. Sales of the sleek music
players are soaring, and so is the value of the company's stock. But
iPod batteries fizzle out after a year or two, and the Apple's designs
make them unnecessarily difficult and expensive to replace.
Al Gore and his colleagues on Apple's board of directors are preparing
for the company's annual meeting on 21 Apr 2005. Send them a fax urging
them to tell CEO Steve Jobs and other Apple executives it's time they
adopted a truly progressive approach to the environment.
Take Action
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Send a free fax at:
http://action.computertakeback.com/action/index.asp?step=2&item=10204
More Information
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More information on Apple's environmental record:
http://www.badapple.biz
The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition's (SVTC) Clean Computer Campaign:
http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/index.html
"Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia," a report by the SVTC
and the Basel Action Network:
http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/pubs/harm.htm
A discussion of recycling issues at MacInTouch, a popular Macintosh Web
site:
http://www.macintouch.com/recycling.html
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