Hi. I'm a Mac, and iToxic.

[hotamd6]

Hi. I'm a Mac, and iToxic. This is an e-mail i received recently from green peace. the email continues...

"Let me introduce you to Apple’s latest release: hundreds of tons of contaminated, unrecycled products. Apple is selling you a fresh, clean image and innovative technology, but behind their messaging is a dirty little secret: their products are made with poison. That’s because under their skin, Apples are full of toxic chemicals like polyvinyl chloride plastic and brominated flame retardants.

When old Apples get tossed, they can end up at the fingertips of children in China, India and other developing world countries. They dismantle them for parts, and are exposed to a dangerous toxic cocktail that threatens their health and the environment.


Tell Apple to go organic!"


Was wondering if this was known by apple users, or in the least how true these claims are and if so, want to do anything about?

 

[pianoman]

Greenpeace, especially recently, has been on Apple's case about being more environmentally conscious. Apple, if I recall correctly, has maintained that their environmental policies are up to government code and not as harmful as Greenpeace would have us believe.

This is just Greenpeace's way of exploiting a very popular company to raise awareness about the environment in general.

 

[riciad]

I think this should answer your question.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/228853/

 

[Swarmlord]

What would make these people happy? Apple supposed to make their enclosures out of pressed hemp fiber or something? Are they implying that Dell, Sun, HP and IBM make their computers out of environmentally benign materials and Apple doesn't?

My blood boils when I read stuff like this. These same people don't seem to be bothered enough to stop using computers, cars, boats and iPods while they lecture the rest of us though.

 

[Dane D.]

Greenpeace is just a bunch of losers that couldn't make it in the real world so they vent their frustrated lives out on successful companies that actually improve our lives. I could care less what these clowns have to say. Maybe if they lived by their preaching, we wouldn't hear from them again. Hard to communicate your message without all the modern tools available to them thanks to companies like Apple. About as whacked out as Al Gore wanting to tax companies for carbon emissions. Oh wait isn't he on the Board at Apple?

My 2 cents.

 

[srf4real]

When old Apples get tossed,

who the hell is tossing old Apples? I still have every last one of mine and they all still work.

 

[After G]

According to wikipedia:

PVC is dangerous due to dioxins produced as byproduct of burning household waste. Burning plastic is never a good idea anyway. Saying Apple is responsible because it makes plastics that can end up in landfills is not a very good argument for Greenpeace to make. Apple is what, 4% of the computer market? Apple is an even lower percentage of the plastics market in general. Take on the other 96% of the world first.

BFRs are dangerous due to the hazard posed to aquatic life. The risk Apple products pose to the environment depend on which BFR they use. At least one on Wikipedia is listed as "chemically bound" to the circuit board so that it cannot get into the water.

Not as bad as I thought.

About as whacked out as Al Gore wanting to tax companies for carbon emissions. Oh wait isn't he on the Board at Apple?

Just because he is on a company board doesn't mean he isn't willing to pay tax. What you're doing is like picking on a car driver because he complains about his gas mileage while driving a Prius. (Or a Volkswagen TDI.)

 

[dsnort]

Apple is what, 4% of the computer market? Apple is an even lower percentage of the plastics market in general. Take on the other 96% of the world first.

Sometimes orgs like Greenpeace take on the worst of the worst. But sometimes they take on high profile companies like Apple, even if they aren't that big of an issue. There is more positive publicity for Greenpeace in attacking Apple than in taking on some high polluting company that no one knows about, or cares about.

Which is not to say Apple couldn't do better. If memory serves they were one of the last major computer companies to institute a recycling program for old comps.

 

[bousozoku]

According to wikipedia:

PVC is dangerous due to dioxins produced as byproduct of burning household waste. Burning plastic is never a good idea anyway. Saying Apple is responsible because it makes plastics that can end up in landfills is not a very good argument for Greenpeace to make. Apple is what, 4% of the computer market? Apple is an even lower percentage of the plastics market in general. Take on the other 96% of the world first.

BFRs are dangerous due to the hazard posed to aquatic life. The risk Apple products pose to the environment depend on which BFR they use. At least one on Wikipedia is listed as "chemically bound" to the circuit board so that it cannot get into the water.

Not as bad as I thought.



Just because he is on a company board doesn't mean he isn't willing to pay tax. What you're doing is like picking on a car driver because he complains about his gas mileage while driving a Prius. (Or a Volkswagen TDI.)

Diesel engines use gasoline now?

Maybe, Greenpeace should be attacking the Plastics Council who represent all those wonderful companies converting the raw materials for use in consumer products.

I don't see Apple being any more irresponsible than any other company. Certainly, there are a lot of consumer electronics out there being made with plastics that can display a recycling label.

I'm interested though in getting numbers on children in China who disassemble computers for parts. Perhaps, Greenpeace should be targeted child labour laws instead of Apple.

 

[zap2]

Apple is not that much worse then any other company when it comes to this...certainly not the best, but some companys are worse(even the people on Apple's case says so) but somehow Apple gets more heat...why?


Because everyone knows about Apple...the iPod is huge, Apple mindshare is HUGE, even if they marketshare it not(for Macs its not, iPods it is)

 

[patrick0brien]

I'm so tired of seeing this, this Greenpeace effort was proved a fraud and Greepeace has already issued an apology. Too bad the press not only failed failed to talk about the apology but are even still bandying this story out.