Apple has products tested again for ‘green’ certificates

Apple has its products again tested for an Epeat certificate. The manufacturer has announced this in a letter to customers. Apple says it made a mistake by making its products ineligible for Epeat certificates.

Apple seems to have attracted criticism from customers, who responded to the news that Apple was no longer having its products approved for Epeat certification. “We have recently heard from many loyal Apple customers that they were disappointed to hear that we had removed our products from the Epeat system,” CEO Bob Mansfeld said in a letter on Apple’s website. “I acknowledge this was a mistake.”

Only laptops and desktops are approved by Epeat, which gives a label for ‘environmentally friendly’ products. It’s unclear whether Apple was only moved by customer criticism. The government of the American city of San Francisco has indicated that it is moving away from Apple because of the decision. In addition, Apple might miss more orders; governments and universities must ensure that 95 percent of the products they purchase are Epeat certified.

Apple got rid of Epeat certificates, because the testing method was said to be incomplete. The manufacturer then emphasized, for example, that all its products meet the Energy Star 5.2 requirements, something that is not included by Epeat in their assessment. In addition, Epeat would not look at how manufacturers deal with the processing of toxic substances. The fact that Apple releases information about the impact of its products on CO2 emissions would also not affect the environmental authority’s assessment.

Epeat itself indicated earlier this year through interim CEO Christine Evin that the certification program is due for an update. This would also look at expanding the number of types of devices being tested; At the moment, for example, Epeat does not test smartphones and tablets.