The Environment

Apple ships PVC-free power cords with the new iMac and MacBook.

Apple’s most popular computer systems — iMac and MacBook — now ship with PVC-free power cords in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Venezuela. PVC has been used in computer power cords for decades, and while it poses few risks under normal use, toxic compounds can be generated and released if PVC is manufactured or incinerated without proper controls. That’s why Apple is continuing to eliminate it from all our computer systems.

All currently shipping Mac systems have PVC-free internal cables, and now MacBook and iMac systems are completely PVC-free. Apple engineers worked closely with our partners and tested dozens of materials in order to find a safe, reliable alternative to power cords that contain PVC. We are currently working with agencies in regions outside those mentioned above to achieve the necessary certifications to ship PVC-free power cords worldwide.

Apple completes transition to mercury-free LED-backlit displays across Mac product line.

With the introduction of the new 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac and the new MacBook, Apple offers energy-efficient, mercury-free LED backlight technology on every Mac with a display. So while other companies make promises to move away from power-hungry displays containing toxins such as mercury, Apple is taking action.

iPod and iPhone have featured LED technology since their inception. In 2007, MacBook Pro became the first Mac to feature a mercury-free LED-backlit display. During the past year, we’ve added LED backlight technology to all MacBook Pro models. And we introduced the 24-inch LED Cinema Display: the first large-screen display to use LED backlight technology. This transition to LED backlight technology is yet another way Apple is working to lessen environmental impact through smarter product design.

Apple reveals complete life cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions.

With a complete life cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions, Apple sets a new standard of full environmental disclosure. We’re the only company in our industry that considers the environmental footprint of every product we make. And we’re the only company to add up all our greenhouse gas emissions and tell you how they are distributed across — and beyond — a product’s lifespan.

Our life cycle analysis accounts for all emissions associated with our products. That includes raw material extraction, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, a three- or four-year period of use,¹ and recycling. In the course of this analysis, we determined that less than 5 percent of our emissions come from our worldwide facilities. In other words, more than 95 percent of Apple’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from the products we make.²

That’s why we’ve taken the innovative approach of reporting emissions data alongside detailed information about our products’ energy efficiency and materials composition. You’ll find this information in our Product Environmental Reports. These reports help educate our customers about how Apple products affect their own environmental footprint. They also allow customers to track Apple’s progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions with each new product.

Longer-lasting battery introduced in MacBook Pro notebooks.

The new MacBook Pro family has a breakthrough battery that runs for up to 7 hours on a single charge (8 hours on the 17-inch MacBook Pro).³ And thanks to advanced chemistry and an innovative new charging method, it can be recharged up to 1000 times — nearly three times the lifespan of typical notebook batteries.⁴ 

Because the battery in the new MacBook Pro lasts up to five years, it uses just one battery in the same time a typical notebook uses three.⁴ And to help ensure that batteries are disposed of in an environmentally responsible way, Apple offers a battery take-back program in 95 percent of the countries in which we do business.

Learn more about MacBook Pro

ENERGY STAR 5.0 and EPEAT Gold.

Energy-efficient products play a central role in reducing Apple’s greenhouse gas emissions. Because Apple designs both hardware and software, we are able to maximize the energy efficiency of our products. We apply this design philosophy to our entire product line. As a result, every Mac meets the EPA’s ENERGY STAR specification for energy efficiency.

EPEAT is the most comprehensive assessment of product environmental attributes, covering not only energy efficiency but also material efficiency and toxin reductions. EPEAT requirements include 23 mandatory criteria and 28 optional criteria. Products are awarded EPEAT Gold, Silver, or Bronze certification according to the percentage of optional criteria they meet. Because all Mac notebook and desktop computers meet at least 75 percent of the optional criteria, they have been awarded the EPEAT Gold rating in the U.S., France, Germany, and the UK.

Mac mini, the world’s most power-efficient desktop computer.

Mac mini packs Intel Core 2 Duo processing power and NVIDIA GeForce graphics technology in a compact, energy-efficient package. When Mac mini is idle, it consumes less than 13 watts: 45 percent less power than the previous generation.

Mac mini meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA, giving it ENERGY STAR qualification. In fact, Mac mini goes well beyond ENERGY STAR requirements, making it the world’s most power-efficient desktop computer. It also meets EPEAT Gold criteria by achieving more than 75 percent of the optional requirements set forth in the comprehensive IEEE-based EPEAT environmental attributes rating system.

Many harmful toxins eliminated.

Many other companies have promised to phase out polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from certain parts of their products. But Apple is removing all forms of chlorine and bromine — not just PVC and BFRs — from every part of every product. Apple has tested and qualified thousands of components and plastics that are bromine- and chlorine-free, and we are in the final stages of developing and certifying PVC-free power cords.

We’ve worked hard to eliminate many of the toxins that are a common part of notebook manufacturing. Take, for example, the mercury used in CCFL backlights and the arsenic contained in the glass of traditional LCD displays. Apple engineers removed both by choosing mercury-free LED technology and arsenic-free glass.

Apple has also eliminated PVC and BFRs from circuit boards, internal cables, connectors, insulators, shock mounts, adhesives, electrical components, and more. We’ve removed these toxins from all new MacBook Pro notebooks, and we’ve done the same for the MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac mini; Apple LED Cinema Display; iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle; and iPhone.

Precision aluminum unibody enclosure introduced.

Every MacBook Pro features a precision aluminum unibody enclosure, which is carved from a single piece of aluminum. This revolutionary unibody enclosure replaces many parts typically required to assemble a notebook with a single part.

The aluminum used to create the unibody — along with the glass that surrounds the MacBook Pro display — is highly desirable to recyclers. That means the raw materials used in the MacBook Pro family can eventually be reused in other products.

A more environmentally friendly iPod and iPhone.

Apple engineers have eliminated many harmful toxins from the iPod and iPhone product lines. Both iPod and iPhone displays have been designed with arsenic-free glass and power-efficient, mercury-free LED-backlight technology. Both products ship free of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in logic boards and polyvinyl chlorides (PVC) in the handset and headphones. Apple engineers also redesigned iPod and iPhone power adapters to outperform the strictest global energy efficiency standards.

To reduce material and minimize greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation, iPod and iPhone packaging has been reduced. For example, the retail packaging for the newest iPod classic consumes 85 percent less volume and weighs 68 percent less than the retail packaging for the original iPod. And the majority of iPhone packaging is made from post-consumer recycled fiberboard and biobased materials.