## Apple reverses EPEAT exit, will relist products
_By Henry Leineweber, Resource Recycling_
In a complete reversal, Apple announced last Friday that it will no longer pull its products from the EPEAT registry.
In an [open letter][1] posted on the company's website, Senior Hardware Engineering VP Bob Mansfield acknowledged the public disappointment in Apple's earlier decision to abandon the green electronics rating system and said that as of today, all eligible products will be relisted on the EPEAT registry.
The company's [earlier decision][2] to abandon the ranking system sparked wide-ranging public criticism, as well as a [backlash][3] from many large purchasers of IT products, such as the federal government, state and local governments, and other large companies and organizations that have EPEAT requirements as part of their procurement policies.
In attempting to diffuse the controversy, Apple had pointed to many of its energy use, materials use and emissions improvements included in the products. The company still maintains that revisions to the IEEE 1680.1 standard, which EPEAT is partially based on, are needed.
"It's important to know that our commitment to protecting the environment has never changed, and today it is as strong as ever," said Mansfield in the letter. "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."
A [statement][4] on EPEAT's website welcomed the decision by Apple, and acknowledged the company's concern that that the program wasn't fully recognizing some of the environmental advancements Apple was making in its products.
"We look forward to Apple's strong and creative thoughts on ongoing standards development," reads the statement. "The outcome must reward new directions for both design and sustainability, simultaneously supporting the environment and the market for all manufacturers' elegant and high-performance products. An interesting question for EPEAT is how to reward innovations that are not yet envisioned with standards that are fixed at a point in time."
Sarah O'Brien, director of outreach and communications for EPEAT, told E-Scrap News that when Apple made the initial decision to withdraw from the program, the company still expressed an interest in being involved in discussions.
She also said that the IEEE 1680.1 standard is currently being revised by stakeholders. The update, she said, may look into areas such as chemical use and green house gas emissions. However, she said it will be up to stakeholders involved in the update process to decide how the standard is updated.
"These are stakeholder processes, and we can never see where they are going," said O'Brien. "We don't quite know how this is all going to turn out."
[![ESC Banner][5] ][6]
[1]: http://www.apple.com/environment/letter-to-customers/
[2]: http://resource-recycling.com/node/2896
[3]: http://resource-recycling.com/node/2900
[4]: http://www.epeat.net/
[5]: http://www.resource-recycling.com/images/e-newsletterimages/ESC12_banner.jpg (ESC Banner)
[6]: http://www.e-scrapconference.com/
URL: http://resource-recycling.com/node/2916
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