3G iPhone - The G ain’t for Green!

While new product models such as the MacBook Air and the new iMac (2) have made progress in reducing toxic chemicals such as PVC and Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs), Apple has not announced any new improvements in removing the toxics (PVC, BFRs, antimony) that Greenpeace found present in the first generation iPhone (3).

"Apple is meant to be a world leader in design and marketing, they should also be a world leader in environmental innovation,” said Greenpeace spokeswoman Suzette Jackson.

A previous campaign target of Greenpeace for its lagging environmental performance (4), Apple has made a commitment to completely phase out of PVC and BFRs in its product line by the end of 2008 (5); other leading mobile phone providers such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson have already displayed product lines free of these harmful substances (6).   

In June, Apple was ranked 11th of 18 companies in Greenpeace's latest Guide to Greener Electronics, scoring 4.1 points out of a possible ten (7).

"The iPhone may be 'Twice as Fast' and 'Half the Price' as Apple advertises, but based on the iPhone specs from Apple's website, it seems to have just as many toxic chemicals as previous models,” said Jackson.

“Steve Jobs has missed an opportunity to reinvent the iPhone in green and catch up with other leading mobile phone providers such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson, whose product lines are already free of these harmful substances”.