The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a program that ranks computers and displays based on environmental attributes in accordance with IEEE 1680.1-2009.
According to Robert Frisbee, CEO of EPEAT, Apple asked the organization last month to pull its 39 certified desktop computers, monitors and laptops, which included past versions of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. The likely reason is the new Retina MacBook Pro. Its glass display is fused with the top of the case, while the batteries are glued to the bottom, making it extremely difficult to repair or recycle.
According to iFixit’s EPEAT contacts:
Beyond its environmental impact and its inability to be repaired, the decision to pull out EPEAT may have some economic ramifications as well…
According to the Wall Street Journal, many of Apple’s biggest customers require EPEAT certification:
As of this writing, iMac’s EPEAT certification is half removed from its website (screenshot above).
In 2010, the last year the survey was conducted, 222 out of the 300 American universities with the largest endowments asked their IT departments to give preference to EPEAT certified computers. Around 70 of the schools required EPEAT certification for electronics purchases, according to O’Brien.
