Greenpeace trashes Apple again

commentary Greenpeace has again targeted Apple in its latest Guide to Greener Electronics, a report which ranks major electronics manufacturers on their environmental policies and practices. But is Apple really putting its technology ahead of the environment?

With a score of 2.7 out of 10, Greenpeace placed Apple at the bottom of the list as the worst offender. Lenovo, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Dell and Samsung topped the green-friendly list.

"For a company that claims to lead on product design, it is perhaps surprising to find Apple languishing at the bottom of the scorecard," Greenpeace stated in the guide.

The aim of the Greenpeace report is to influence companies to reduce the hazardous nasties in their products and to encourage recycling programs. Apple isn't shy about its environmental practices, but its talks with Greenpeace reportedly broke down after the political pressure group published the iPoison + iWaste spoof page.

I have no doubt that Apple could be more environmentally friendly -- most manufacturers probably could -- but Apple's high profile and brand awareness make it a convenient target. Apple also has a penchant for being tight-lipped about most things, which may have worsened the relationship.

On one hand you've got Greenpeace claiming Apple is evil, but on the the other you've got the US Environmental Protection Agency's EPEAT awarding Apple products silver medals.

Not complying with government regulations for hazardous material is serious business. Last year Palm was forced to stop shipping its Treo 650 smartphone in Europe because it violated the EU RoHS directive.

Is Greenpeace on the mark with its assessment of Apple? Or is there a sinister reason behind Macs having a Trash can instead of a Recycle Bin? Leave your comments below.