THE ISSUE:
Globally, between 22 and 55 million tons of electronic waste gets trashed every year. Many of these materials are toxic and carcinogens (lead, PVC, BFRs) and end up in landfills and incinerators, and often get shipped to the developing world to get dismantled by hand in horrendous conditions by poor workers and their children. Many of these children use the parts as toys after they are done helping their parents assemble parts. The waste leaks into water sources and planting areas and end up being consumed by the whole region. Since 2003, Greenpeace has been working with the main electronics companies in the world to help reduce or eliminate these toxic materials, and most companies have agreed to reduce, and in some cases eliminate the most dangerous chemicals. With one main exception.: Apple Computers.
THE CAMPAIGN:
Apple computers has scored one of the lowest of all main computer companies: 2.7/10Apple now uses of the highest concentrations of carcinogens and toxic chemicals on their production.Their products are now manufactured with a life span of about a 1 year ( just about as long as the warranty lasts and as often as new Ipods come in the market). After Greenpeace had been discussing the issues with Apple for about 3 years, back in April 2005, Steve Jobs publicly called environmentalists' concerns about Apple "bullshit". Come on Steve, we'd expect that kind of reaction from fat corporate CEOs who dump polychlorinated biphenyls into rivers, not from a cool, potentially eco-friendly titan of the information age.
THE ACTION:
All we want is for Apple to agree to the same changes all the other companies have already agreed to, so we are planning a friendly, visual way to ask them to change their ways.
You can find more information at:
http://www.greenmyapple.org/itox.html
