Greenpeace wants its Apple green

Under the slogan "I love my Mac. I wish it came in green", the environmental organization has launched an international campaign. The aim is to put pressure on Apple to stop using toxic, environmentally harmful substances in the production of its devices and to introduce a take-back system for electronic waste. As Greepeace emphasizes, it is not a campaign against Apple, but one for a better Apple. With the campaign, the environmental protection organization is generally advocating a more responsible approach to the gigantic quantities of computer and electronic waste that are produced every year. The aim is "green electronics", in which hazardous substances are not created in the first place, as campaign manager Zeina Alhajj from Greenpeace International explained to Technology Review. The campaign is accompanied by a study on the current behavior of major manufacturers, the Green Electronics Guide. On December 6, Greenpeace presented the second ranking, and Apple landed in last place.
Since 2003, Greenpeace has been demanding that manufacturers of electronic devices refrain from using harmful substances (such as lead, cadmium, beryllium and mercury, the plastic PVC and brominated flame retardants) during production. During the manufacture and disposal of electronic devices, workers, mostly in the Third World, come into contact with these substances - for example when dismantling the copper cables - and the environment suffers permanent damage as the substances are not biodegradable.