Dan Knight
, 2005.04.25
The
SillyCon Valley Toxic Stuff Coalition (SCVTSC) has taken their
message to Apple's core, and
Steve Jobs has replied - pointing out numerous inaccuracies
in the group's claims at last week's shareholders meeting.
SCVTSC is pushing Apple to recycle old hardware at no charge to
the people who own it and are disposing of the equipment, claiming
that Dell and HP already take back old stuff for free.
Not so, countered Jobs. "HP charges $40 and Dell charges $20 -
we are right in the middle. Apple has a really strong environmental
policy." Apple has been taking back computer hardware for four
years at a disposal fee of $30 per system.
Jobs notes that Apple recycled over 1,500 tons of equipment last
year, to which the SCVTSC countered by noting that HP recycled over
5,000 tons. The Lite Side responds that with all those old HP
LaserJets, DeskJets, plotters, monitors, and calculators, HP
probably has a far greater mass of obsolete equipment ready to be
recycled than Apple.
Apple hasn't made a LaserWriter or ImageWriter printer in years,
they've been out of the CRT monitor business for a while, and
Macintosh computers often remain in use twice as long as Windows
PCs.
Responding to SCVTSC's assertion that Apple uses prisoners or
forced labor in their recycling program, Jobs said nothing doing.
The SCVTSC claims to have proof.
What's wrong with prisoners doing recycling work? It is beneath
them? Should only people who aren't incarcerated be allowed
to recycle old computer hardware?
Then again, SCVTSC doesn't claim that Apple is using prison
labor. What they claim is that some Apple equipment has been
recycled by prisoners - according to their very trustworthy inside
informants. Hey, just because a few Apple computers make it through
such a system doesn't that mean Apple is sending the product
there.
SCVTSC also rails against unscrupulous recyclers who ship
product to India and China for recycling - as though Apple is
somehow responsible for it. If people choose not to recycle their
hardware through Apple, Apple has no control over it. Simple,
no?
Splish Splash
The SillyCon Valley Toxic Stuff Coalition is more interested
in PR than recycling. They call the iPod "a time-bomb for our
health," claiming that the tiny bit of lead inside the iPod will
somehow sneak out, climb into the iPod owner's mouth at night, and
be ingested with dire consequences.
They also claim that consumers are so savvy that they'd never
think to replace the dead battery in an old iPod. No, they believe
we'll just toss them in the garbage and buy new ones.
Maybe that's the way SillyCon Valley environmentalists operate,
but the rest of us would much prefer to buy a $20-40 battery than a
$200-450 iPod.
SCVTSC is after one thing - their fifteen minutes of fame.
They've selected Apple and the iPod not because of the great
quantities of Apple hardware polluting the planet, but because the
iPod is "the hippest thing around." It's just a ploy to get
attention.
Well, they have, and their silliness is apparent to anyone who
takes a moment to reflect on what they're doing.
As for picking on Apple, just think how much shrink wrap and
annoying tape hasn't been used and made its way into the trash
because millions of iPod owners are buying music online instead of
buying CDs. And how many AA alkaline batteries people haven't had
to buy and dispose of because the iPod has a rechargeable
battery.
If these environmentalists were more concerned about the
environment than their own PR, they'd be dealing with bigger issues
like TVs, VCRs, microwaves, refrigerators, and other household
objects that are a much greater source of lead and other pollutants
than the small percentage of computers actually thrown away each
year. (Way too many of those computers end up stored in a basement
or warehouse, never discarded or recycled - let alone reused.)
Friends or Enemies?
If SCVTSC wants to make a difference, they need to learn how to
work with companies rather than antagonize them. When the company
that you're trying to change tells you that you're wrong, give them
the opportunity to speak their piece. Get off your high horse
and sit down with them - both sides may have more in common
than you think.
Or just keep saying, "Not good enough!" until Apple stops paying
any attention.
Apple has been environmentally friendly for a long time. At one
point they switched from white boxes to brown cardboard. At another
point, they used more cardboard and less foam packaging. If I
recall correctly, they were also one of the first companies to use
water (rather than harsh chemicals) to clean logic boards.
Those days seem long gone. I can't remember the last time Apple
did something friendly to the environment.
No, wait. Just a minute. When iPod batteries started failing,
Apple created a program to take back iPods with failed batteries
and replace them with iPods with new batteries. One more time bomb
kept out of the landfill.
I wish that Apple would be more outspoken in their environmental
policies, but they are part of Apple's history.
That's the message both sides of this issue need to understand.
Maybe they can start by getting Apple to agree to take in one old
Apple computer system any time someone buys a new one....
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