The big news of last week (other than Hurricane Irene) was that of Steve Jobs stepping down as CEO of Apple. We spent some time giving due praise to the mastermind of business and design, noting Jobs’ role in the significant green steps Apple has taken over the years and the business cues we could take from him within the green movement. Now, it’s time to put a little thought into what we’d like to see from the “new” Apple as Tim Cook takes the helm.
Apple sparks more passion from consumers than pretty much any other company — from the avid (sometimes even rabid) loyalty of fanboys to the criticism of environmental watchdog groups. And while Apple has taken a leading role in advancing the green movement in many areas, there are some places where we would still love to see improvement. Whether this is wishful thinking or just setting the bar high, this is what we want:
1. Eliminate Conflict Minerals from the Supply Stream
Apple has had a relatively weak stance on avoiding conflict minerals from their supply chain. Conflict minerals are those mined in areas where the profits go to fuel war, rape, and genocide — most notably in the Democratic Republic of Congo. When a Wired.com reader asked Steve Jobs about the issue of conflict minerals making their way into consumer electronics manufacturers supply chains, Jobs replied, “Yes. We require all of our suppliers to certify in writing that they use conflict few materials. But honestly there is no way for them to be sure. Until someone invents a way to chemically trace minerals from the source mine, it’s a very difficult problem.
It is a difficult, but not impossible problem. By requiring transparency in the supply chain and being more direct with suppliers about standards, using recycled materials — and yes, by inventing a way to chemically trace minerals from the source mine — Apple can take steps in reducing and even eliminating the use of conflict minerals in their products.
2. Use Recycled Materials, Especially Aluminum and Precious Metals
Another way to avoid conflict minerals, and to reduce the environmental footprint of its products, is for Apple to use recycled materials in their products. Many cell phone manufacturers are starting to take up this call, however it too often amounts to simply using a small percentage of recycled plastic in the outer casing. What we want to see is Apple ramping up the use of recycled materials from copper to gold to plastic to aluminum and more in their products. From the inside out, we want products that take as little from the earth as possible, and keep as much in the consumer stream and out of landfills as possible.
3. Design for Repairability
This is a serious issue with Apple products. While videos for DIY jailbreaking and various home repairs for Apple products abound, we want Apple to make it easy for consumers to repair their own products. The Owner’s Manifesto states, “If you can’t open it, you don’t own it.” We want Apple to give consumers full ownership of their devices. Take a page from the Maker’s Bill of Rights, Apple — empower your consumers and in the process reduce the company’s environmental footprint drastically. It will make your consumers trust you a whole lot more, and it’ll make your products radically more interesting. There’s nothing greener than fixing rather than replacing.
Source: Treehugger
By Jaymi Heimbuch