蘋果重回電子產品環保認證 EPEAT

蘋果電腦上個月突然決定退出美國2006年開始針對電子產品設計的環保認證辦法 (The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool，EPEAT)，引起很大的反彈。舊金山市政府馬上通令市府單位，不得採購蘋果產品。雖然舊金山市政府添購的蘋果產品實在為不足道，譬如前年只花了四萬五千多美元。
蘋果一開始就加入EPEAT，為何會退出？原因不明。但相信新版MacBook Pro不易拆解是主因，尤其電池部分！
但樹大招風，壓力太大。七月13日蘋果決定重回 EPEAT。硬體部門副總Bob Mansfield在聲明中說到：“We've recently heard from many loyal Apple customers who were disappointed to learn that we had removed our products from the EPEAT rating system. I recognize that this was a mistake. Starting today, all eligible Apple products are back on EPEAT.
It's important to know that our commitment to protecting the environment has never changed, and today it is as strong as ever. Apple makes the most environmentally responsible products in our industry. In fact, our engineering teams have worked incredibly hard over the years to make our products even more environmentally friendly, and much of our progress has come in areas not yet measured by EPEAT.
For example, Apple led the industry in removing harmful toxins such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). We are the only company to comprehensively report greenhouse gas emissions for every product we make, taking into account the entire product lifecycle. And we've removed plastics wherever possible, in favor of materials that are more highly recyclable, more durable, more efficient and longer lasting.
Perhaps most importantly, we make the most energy-efficient computers in the world and our entire product line exceeds the stringent ENERGY STAR 5.2 government standard. No one else in our industry can make that claim.
We think the IEEE 1680.1 standard could be a much stronger force for protecting the environment if it were upgraded to include advancements like these. This standard, on which the EPEAT rating system is based, is an important measuring stick for our industry and its products.
Our relationship with EPEAT has become stronger as a result of this experience, and we look forward to working with EPEAT as their rating system and the underlying IEEE 1680.1 standard evolve. Our team at Apple is dedicated to designing products that everyone can be proud to own and use.”。

老人：美國聯邦有採購規範要求產品得達95%的EPEAT要求。但不是各州或市政府都採用EPEAT標準！
IEEE 1680新標準內容含：Reduction/Elimination of Environmentally Sensitive Materials減少/消除環境敏感材料、Material Selection材料選擇、Design for End of Life and Longevity生命終期設計和產品壽命、Energy Conservation能源節約、End of Life Management生命終期管理、Corporate Performance公司績效、Packaging包裝、Consumables耗材、Indoor Air Quality室內空氣品值、等9大項。目前用的是2009年定的標準，只8項。
而IEEE 1680.1是有關電腦和顯示器的環境準則，預計2012年年底推出。