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Article wrote:

According to the group, Apple takes back obsolete electronics in Japan, Europe, Taiwan and South Korea. CTBC claims his isn't being done because Apple is being a nice company, but rather because some countries have legislation which make companies responsible for the disposal of their products if they contain hazardous materials.

CTBC is campaigning to get Apple to do the same thing in the US.

Anybody CAN recycle their old Mac products. In this country, we have FREEDOM of choice. I can choose to recycle them through Apple or donate them to schools.

This is further proof, some people just need to get a life.

^^

lol, yeah I didn't even ask the big question...why is it important that Apple actually do the recycling?

There's lots of places that do this, it's not like you CAN'T recycle your computer!

It's like being mad that McDonalds hire a company to haul their trash away...like, hey, they should carry it to the dump themselves! Or something...

I also noticed that this group couldn't manage to keep their web page up through the next day. Maybe they whole thing was a joke.

First off, yes, we should take toxic waste seriously. We shouldn't just dump batteries into common waste bins but this campaign is too loopy for words -- although the idle ones with twisted priorities found the time.

Wait, now, maybe I'm in too much haste in my judgement. Think of the control we can seek to leverage here. I'm getting some ideas now... We SHOULD protest people who park their cars RIGHT OVER dividing lines! Intolerable! How about people who use asymetric amounts of peanut butter to jelly! Ludicris hubris! What about clamping down people with inordinate affection for the 60's! I'm on to something here.

I wouldn't be too surprise if this "organization" hasn't gotten donations from some company...

each and every CRT monitor made (including TVs) has a significant amount of lead in the glass used, to block the X-rays generated by the CRTs. Apple doesn't even sell CRTs anymore, and most communitees require you to take them to a recycling center, and won't accept them as regular trash anyway, so where's the beef?

The problem of toxic computer waste is a pretty big one, as many have been improperly disposed of in the last few decades. I do think its misguided for these groups to specifically target apple, particularly when they represent a small fraction of the total junk computers out there. That said, if even a few dozen people saw this and decide to actually dispose of their busted iPod correctly instead of just tossing it in the trash, then this effort was probably worth it.

Also, America is currently controlled by perhaps the most pro-business government since before the Great Depression, as well as one that has a lackluster record on environmental issues. Add that to our general cultural reluctance to take any responsibility for the massive waste we produce, and the chances of us getting the type of legislation that would fix this drop to about zero.

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DaiMac wrote:

Also, America is currently controlled by perhaps the most pro-business government since before the Great Depression, as well as one that has a lackluster record on environmental issues. Add that to our general cultural reluctance to take any responsibility for the massive waste we produce, and the chances of us getting the type of legislation that would fix this drop to about zero.

Considering that they represent "96%" of the marketshare, I wonder if they bother to protest outside their conventions and headquarters?

Waste is important. We should all be aware and endeavor to be good ecological citizens, but maybe the group should have been more general in their protest rather than target Apple (it just might get the ire up on many of us Apple fans, huh? )

It's funny that they are going after Apple considering their market share. Of course this group wants attention and Apple is a good way to get it. If it was any other manufacturer, nobody would be paying attention. Personally, I'm not sure if every company in the world should have to dispose of any product that they've ever sold, but obviously there should be some be easy ways for people to dispose of said wastes. As SWC said, there are already ways to get computer's recycled. Perhaps the issue is simply educating people? Of course that would mean empowering people to do the right thing themselves instead of having the government do it for them. How Republican of me.

Here in Belgium, the idea of recycling is just like second nature. Not only do we separate our rubbish, which is then collected separately according to type, but we can take stuff to centres, where different types of rubbish can be placed in various containers, with staff to help the sorting process. Computers, washing machines, and any other electrical equipment is catered for, as well as the more mundane building rubbish, glass, etc. No legislation, merely a question of information and education, supported by common sense. I believe we have something like a 90% rate of recycling of batteries here -- not bad at all.

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Biff wrote:
It's funny that they are going after Apple considering their market share. Of course this group wants attention and Apple is a good way to get it. If it was any other manufacturer, nobody would be paying attention. Personally, I'm not sure if every company in the world should have to dispose of any product that they've ever sold, but obviously there should be some be easy ways for people to dispose of said wastes. As SWC said, there are already ways to get computer's recycled. Perhaps the issue is simply educating people? Of course that would mean empowering people to do the right thing themselves instead of having the government do it for them. How Republican of me.

I have several iPods, one a first generation I bought the day they were released. It currently doesn't work, but there is no way I'm throwing it or any other Mac away. I have too much attachment to them. Fix them, donate, spread the cause by giving to others, but no way would I trash one.

Why are these people just targetting Apple? Why not Energizer? Rayovac? Duracell? Exide?

How about hitting on Rio and Creative for making players that require disposable batteries, which have a much greater impact on the environment?

The more I think about this, the more annoyed I get. Frankly, I don't know anyone who just pictches old hardware - I bet 95% of replaced iPods get tossed in drawers, put on eBay, passed down to family members. Would you just toss a $300 piece of hardware in the trash? Particularly when there's good resale value - even from "dead" ones?

This group has attacked Apple because of the success of the iPod - and battery disposal is a very serious issue. Unfortunately, they've got the message wrong.

Start going after the POS PC makers whose PCs last 2 years.

The way to "recycle" a Mac is to give it to a friend, donate it or sell it on ebay.

Hey, if anyone wants to throw their iPod away, just send it to me. Especially if it has a 60GB drive in it

How can "each of the video terminals in the bin contained from 4 to 8 pounds of lead" when a 40GB iPod only weighs 6.2 ounces?

Perhaps the sign meant that the combined total of lead in the bin, from the video terminals, was 4 to 8 pounds? That's an important distinction.

Just trying to be clear on the dire claims.

Next year, Apple will introduce the Uranium PowerBook (PbU) made from recycled depleted uranium from tank killing shells found in the Iraqi desert. The PbU will survive falls of 200 feet and head on crashes of 60 mph. Perhaps a third party company can take all the lead this group collects and make lead briefcases to carry the PbU.

It'd be better if you USAians fix your laws. Then that would apply to all producers of environemnetally hazardous electronics, and not just Apple.

If you wondered: Many batteries are hazardous to humans, and among other things stop you from having kids. I guess that's a fitting punishment for the USA for polluting way more than the world average.

Fix your laws.

Here in Norway, we have a system where the producers are legally required to buy a recycling service for their products from one of many recycling companies. I thinks it's an EU regulation, so it's probably more or less the same all over Europe.

You may of course choose to donate stuff to schools or poorer eastern european countries. Reuse is nearly always better than recycling.

But in the end, when something electronic is broken, if you want to dispose of it properly, you only need to bring it to some store who sell electronics. They'll pass it on to the recycling agent. It's easy, it's unbureacratic. No forms or coupons required. People seem to use the system.

Recycling has also a rather lucrative business.


Fix your laws, USAians, before the lack of modern recycling systems punishes you collectively and make your children deformed and dumb.

-dag

That we are not already deformed and dumb...

This group has already worked to get Dell to improve their recycling efforts. When I worked at the Gateway Booth, the company's buyback/trade-in/recycle website was a feature I stressed, and much easier for the novice to find from the gateway site than any recycling program offered by Apple.

The "Freedom of choice" idea is fine for choosing between MP3/CD or DRM tunes, but it is nonsense in this case. I should not have the freedom to dump toxic chemicals in a landfill, any more than I should be able to dump my leaves and dog dung in your yard. Some things are too important to leave to

I agree with these folks. MacWorld is a good example of a high-profile demonstration sponsored by a computer company that is not as "Green" as much of it's competition. Even if Apple doesn't get the picture, the people attending the conference should be aware of what happens to the old systems they toss.

maybe i should speak slowly to this person:
if you ...go to ...the website...and actually read it...you will see the pages...regarding legislation........

the Compaign is working on legislation in several states....In fact, there's even a map where you can click on your state and see if there is a bill.

However, even when legislation is pending, large corporations do happen to have some sway with legislators in the US...Therefore, if you target the companies and get them to support the policy/objectives of the campaign and get the companies to support legislative efforts, then you will have much greater suceess passing the laws...

Get it?

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Small White Car wrote:

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Article wrote:

According to the group, Apple takes back obsolete electronics in Japan, Europe, Taiwan and South Korea. CTBC claims his isn't being done because Apple is being a nice company, but rather because some countries have legislation which make companies responsible for the disposal of their products if they contain hazardous materials.

CTBC is campaigning to get Apple to do the same thing in the US.

Maybe I should talk very slowly so this group gets the idea:

If they do it ... in other countries because the government ... forces them to ... then maybe you should be trying ... to get a similar law ... passed here in the US.


I mean how's that for logic? "They do A in other countries because of B, so to get them to do A in our country let's try C!"

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Guest wrote:


But in the end, when something electronic is broken, if you want to dispose of it properly, you only need to bring it to some store who sell electronics. They'll pass it on to the recycling agent. It's easy, it's unbureacratic. No forms or coupons required. People seem to use the system.

Having the 'freedom' to not recycle is hardly a freedom worth having...along with the 'freedom' to leave garbage on the street or the 'freedom' to ruin a natural landscape with waste.

The manufacturer having responsibility seems like a good premise to me. I think the EU has or will bring in legislation that is similar. It will raise the cost of PCs slightly so the recycling cost is factored in to the 'real' cost. The polluter pays. There is always an environmental trade off.

When my powerbook eventually dies I'd like to hope the mercury in the backlight doesn't end up in the brains of young children.

I think this group are probably targeting apple because they hard high profile. Am sure they are a small outfit and can't be everywhere at once!