Does Apple index its environmental performance data using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (G3)?
- Yes. Environmental performance data covering energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste production can be found here.
How does Apple minimize the environmental impact of its business activities?
- Apple takes a number of specific measures to reduce our environmental impact over the product’s life cycle; these are discussed extensively throughout this website. For example, product design, materials, energy efficiency, and recycling.
What is ISO 14001, and is Apple ISO 14001 certified?
- ISO 14001 is a voluntary international standard that establishes the requirements for an organization’s environmental management system (EMS). The ISO 14001 standard helps a company manage the environmental impact of its operations in a systematic way that is integrated with overall business management processes. Apple first achieved ISO 14001 certification for a manufacturing site in 1996.
Where can I get detailed product environmental data related to Apple products?
- Apple has been providing detailed environmental performance data on desktops, portables, displays, and servers since 1999. Visit this resource page to access product environmental report cards for all major products.
Where can I get materials safety data sheets (MSDSs)?
- Visit this resource page to access MSDSs for applicable products.
Which Apple products have earned the ENERGY STAR® rating?
- Information on ENERGY STAR ratings for Apple products can be obtained from the Technical Specifications web page of each Apple product. Apple products designed to meet ENERGY STAR standards conform with the requirements set out in the stricter 4.0 version of the ENERGY STAR standard covering portables, desktops, and workstations.
Does Apple ban environmentally sensitive substances?
- Yes. Apple’s Regulated Substances Specification details a broad range of substances that are restricted or banned from use in Apple products, packaging, and manufacturing. Refer to the Materials section of this website for specific information.
Do Apple products contain lead?
- Apple is in compliance with the European RoHS Directive, which restricts the use of lead and other substances. As a result of our precautionary approach to substances, Apple phased out lead in plastic parts, paint, and packaging material long before the RoHS Directive came into effect.
What are Apple’s restrictions on brominated flame retardant-free (BFR-free) and polyvinyl chloride-free (PVC-free) products?
- Apple defines a material as BFR-free and PVC-free if it contains less than 900 parts per million (ppm) of bromine and chlorine. The 900-ppm limit is one of the strictest in the electronics industry and a concentration lower than the ban on lead in the European RoHS Directive. Since BFRs and PVC need to be present in much higher quantities to be effective, most materials that contain less than 900-ppm bromine and chlorine do not have any detectable levels of bromine or chlorine present.
Which products are covered by Apple’s BFR-free and PVC-free transition?
- Apple’s phaseout of BFRs and PVC covers all parts of new Apple product designs manufactured after December 31, 2008. The iPod nano, iPod classic, and iPod touch are examples of products that are BFR-free and PVC-free. While Apple’s phaseout will cover the vast majority of products and components, older product designs, replacement parts, and accessories for older product designs may not be fully BFR-free and PVC-free by December 31, 2008.
What is REACH, and how is Apple complying with the REACH regulation?
- The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals Regulation EC 1907/2007, commonly referred to as REACH, is a European regulation on chemicals and their safe use. With the publication of the candidate list for authorization on 28th of October 2008, the European Chemicals Agency has identified a set of substances of very high concern (SVHC) that manufacturers must disclose to customers if used in their products above 0.1%.
- Based on the current version of the candidate list for authorization, Apple products do not contain SVHC above 0.1%, with the exception of AC power cords. AC power cords used in Apple notebooks, desktops, servers, displays, Apple TV, Airport Extreme, Time Capsule, and power adapters are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) that contain the SVHC bis 2-ethyl(hexyl)phthalate, also known as DEHP. Apple is in the final stages of developing and certifying PVC-free AC power cords that will also be free of DEHP.
Does Apple use ozone-depleting substances?
- No ozone-depleting substances (ODCs) are used in any processes to manufacture components, materials, or product packaging materials used by Apple, as stipulated by the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer.
Where can I find out about computer take-back and recycling services near me?
- Apple participates in recycling programs worldwide. Click the appropriate region for information on how to recycle your Apple equipment there: U.S. and Canada, Europe, Taiwan, Japan.
What happens to computers when they are recycled?
- While recycling processes may vary from country to country or recycler to recycler, as a rule there are general steps to break a computer down into its constituent parts for further processing. At the recycler, used equipment is disassembled, and key components that can be reused are removed for reliability testing and refurbishment. Glass and metal can be reprocessed into secondary raw glass and metal materials for use in new products. Plastics can be used as a fuel source for the glass and metal smelting process, or they can be liquefied and pelletized into a raw secondary plastic material. With materials reprocessing and component reuse, Apple often achieves a 90% recovery rate by weight of the original product. The Recycling section of this website offers more detailed information on Apple’s recycling efforts.
Does Apple consider recycling performance in its product designs?
- Yes. Many Apple products facilitate the disassembly of parts and materials for recycling. Further, we select materials to optimize recycling. The aluminum and glass used in the MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac enclosures is highly recyclable, as is the stainless steel and glass used in the iPhone and iPod touch.
Does Apple incorporate environmental features into its product designs?
- Yes. These features are discussed extensively throughout this website. Aggressive power management, for example, enabled us to continually reduce power consumption from one generation of product to another. Further, we design our products with high-value recyclable materials, and we ban many environmentally harmful substances. Our products and packaging are also designed to minimize material usage and maximize shipping efficiency. To read more about Apple’s efforts in these areas, visit the Product Design section of this website.