New Apple iPod Recycling Program offers incentive
In response to mounding pressure from environmental activists, Apple today announced a free recycling program for its iPod digital music players.
Beginning today, customers can bring iPods they no longer want to any of Apple?s 100 retail stores in the US for free environmentally friendly disposal, and those who drop off an iPod, iPod mini or iPod photo will receive a 10 percent discount on the purchase of a new iPod that day.
iPods received for recycling in the US will be processed domestically and no hazardous material will be shipped overseas, Apple said in a statement to the press.
At the company's annual shareholders meeting this past April, a group environmentalists drew the ire of Apple chief executive Steve Jobs by attacking Apple?s policies on recycling through picketing and other means.
Specifically, the group charged that the iPod is an "environmental time-bomb" because it contains lead and other toxins that will eventually end up in landfills somewhere.
At the time, Jobs fired back saying consumers often throw away old electronics batteries. He also recognized that tens of thousands of iPod owners had already replaced their iPod batteries through Apple?s $99 Battery Replacement Program, which properly disposes of the old batteries.
More details of Apple?s worldwide recycling programs are available at Apple's environmental website.
Beginning today, customers can bring iPods they no longer want to any of Apple?s 100 retail stores in the US for free environmentally friendly disposal, and those who drop off an iPod, iPod mini or iPod photo will receive a 10 percent discount on the purchase of a new iPod that day.
iPods received for recycling in the US will be processed domestically and no hazardous material will be shipped overseas, Apple said in a statement to the press.
At the company's annual shareholders meeting this past April, a group environmentalists drew the ire of Apple chief executive Steve Jobs by attacking Apple?s policies on recycling through picketing and other means.
Specifically, the group charged that the iPod is an "environmental time-bomb" because it contains lead and other toxins that will eventually end up in landfills somewhere.
At the time, Jobs fired back saying consumers often throw away old electronics batteries. He also recognized that tens of thousands of iPod owners had already replaced their iPod batteries through Apple?s $99 Battery Replacement Program, which properly disposes of the old batteries.
More details of Apple?s worldwide recycling programs are available at Apple's environmental website.
Comments
Originally posted by AppleInsider
[B]In response to mounding pressure from environmental activists, Apple today announced a free recycling program for its iPod digital music players.
Bravo. Too many companies put the burden on the buyer to recycle old hardware, and as a result people don't want to have to pay to haul the stuff away. Also, often local trash haulers and recycling collectors will point the finger at one another and say that the other is responsible for collecting, say, that old monitor -- and so eventually it ends up dumped somewhere.
If more resellers would offer no-cost disposal methods and provide dropoff or pickup or return shipping for old goods, more computers, TVs, and other items with hazardous materials in them would be properly destroyed and their components melted down for re-use.
Apple's offer of a 10% discount on a replacement makes the idea of recycling even more appealing than it already is. I'm guessing that a number of people will voluntarily recycle even without the incentive.
I ship back used color laser printer consumables to HP for recycling -- I don't get a cash incentive for doing it, but they make it easy to do by providing a return shipping label and instructions. Even if I weren't an environmental science degree holder (which I am!), I'd do this.
Unfortunately, not enough companies realize the value of conservation and realizing that their products don't last forever. If only so much of the 'burden' of doing the right thing wasn't on the end user ...
And thanks to the activists who helped bring this about. You've just helped with the recycling of most portable music players sold
Good work--and handled when it SHOULD be handled... before a big problem develops.
And 10% off a new iPod? Planet, schmanet, that ain't pocket change on an iPod Photo
(I hope nobody is recycling their iPod Photo already!)
I don't want to get rid of my old 2g but, imagine a photo for like $288!
And they did it on World Environment Day too! (which I'm guessing was just a coincidence)
Originally posted by joblowski
The cheapskate in me has to ask...would that 10% off still apply when buying at the Education price? I figure it's gotta be but does anyone know how Apple has handled these sort of discounts in the past?
I don't want to get rid of my old 2g but, imagine a photo for like $288!
Yeah they should give you your education dicount as well.
All companies should recycle, have environmentally offices/manufacturing as well as morally responsible employment. Unfortunately most do not. Apple is making a step in the right direction.
Besides -- what makes this a sell is the 10% discount. I can't imagine turning in an iPod for recycling for free. I could see doing it for $30 off my next one, though.
Originally posted by sdfisher
what makes this a sell is the 10% discount. I can't imagine turning in an iPod for recycling for free.
Why not? If something is broken, you'd throw it away or stash it somewhere and never pull it out again. Then years from now when you clean out your closet or whatever you throw it in the 'trash' box without giving it a second thought, or try to recycle it and find the recycling program ended years ago.
What loss is there in discarding something by giving it to a recycler who will properly dispose of the hazardous materials in the battery, PCBs, drive, screen, etc., instead of just throwing it in the trash where it will just be dumped into a landfill?
Originally posted by Buran
Why not? If something is broken, you'd throw it away or stash it somewhere and never pull it out again. Then years from now when you clean out your closet or whatever you throw it in the 'trash' box without giving it a second thought, or try to recycle it and find the recycling program ended years ago.
What loss is there in discarding something by giving it to a recycler who will properly dispose of the hazardous materials in the battery, PCBs, drive, screen, etc., instead of just throwing it in the trash where it will just be dumped into a landfill?
Because I'm not going to just throw out an iPod. It cost too much!
No, the only way I'd throw it out is if for some reason it was urgent that I throw it out <em>on the spot</em> or some other spur of the moment decision to purge it from my life, in which case I'd be very unlikely to have time to investigate recycling options.
That 10% off is smart. It means I can make a decision that benefits both myself and the environment: "I'm done with this, and I can get something for it!"
Call me silly if you want, but I suspect a lot of people think this way. We try to be good, but it doesn't always happen. Rewarding us for being good makes it more likely we'll behave.
Originally posted by sdfisher
Call me silly if you want, but I suspect a lot of people think this way. We try to be good, but it doesn't always happen. Rewarding us for being good makes it more likely we'll behave.
Most people do think like that - and that's why there's a problem with the environment. People are selfish.
Originally posted by sdfisher
Because I'm not going to just throw out an iPod. It cost too much!
It costs a lot to buy a car, but if the car no longer functions, then what's it worth? No one's going to give you $20,000 for a car that doesn't function. They'll just laugh at you and point you to the nearest junkyard. Something that doesn't work isn't going to get you back what you paid for it. Goods depreciate.
I paid $250 for my TV. If the TV stops working, I'm not going to start complaining that no one will give me $250, or even $100, for it. It's not worth that much. Instead, I'm going to get rid of it, and I'm going to do that by finding someone who can accept it for disposal when I buy a new one (paying the shelf cost for a new one -- yes, it sucks but again, things depreciate and aren't worth anything if they don't work) or finding a third party that can haul it away for me from the front curb.
Originally posted by MacCrazy Most people do think like that - and that's why there's a problem with the environment. People are selfish.
Many people aren't necessarily aware of environmental problems. Many people are aware, but don't know what they can do. Their local recycler won't take large items like TVs or computer monitors or computers. They go to Office Depot having heard that there's a recycling program there for old hardware only to be told that that program was temporary and that old stuff isn't being accepted. (No joke -- they stopped accepting after a while and were overwhelmed by the response they had before they did that). The trash haulers won't take away the stuff the recyclers won't touch, pointing the finger at the recyclers -- who point the finger right back at the trash collectors.
Then they don't know who else to turn to. The local landfill says you need a contract to dump things. Local recycling centers only want cans and bottles and things like that. And so on.
Many people want to do what they know they should -- but can't do it because no one will give them the opportunity; or when they do, impose too high a cost on people to do it, even though it doesn't cost that much extra and could be handled as part of the purchase price of replacements (like those HP toner cartridges -- the shipping label comes in the box the new one comes in).
Before you start saying people are selfish, try asking yourself why it seems that way. Actual malice and lack of opportunity are not the same thing.
Originally posted by Buran
Before you start saying people are selfish, try asking yourself why it seems that way. Actual malice and lack of opportunity are not the same thing.
In the UK there are many recycling opportunities but people are too selfish to use them. People would rather drive to the dump then recycle their rubbish which can be collected at their door. It's not just ignorance - they don't care about the effect. It's the same as the public transport argument. It's faster, more convenient to travel by train to London from where I live. BUT people still drive - why - because they are more comfortable and don't care about the consequences.
Greener cars with lower emissions are available but people still buy petrol-guzzling 4X4s for the school run - why - because they don't care. People drive to gym (ever ironic) - can you guess why?
Originally posted by MacCrazy
In the UK there are many recycling opportunities but people are too selfish to use them. People would rather drive to the dump then recycle their rubbish which can be collected at their door.
This makes no sense. I can't imagein that's very prevalent. I put out my recycling and trash in the same way, just on different days. People are at heart lazy, and if they can just leave something on the curb, they'll do that if it means the alternative requires expending effort (like driving somewhere).
Originally posted by Buran
This makes no sense. I can't imagein that's very prevalent. I put out my recycling and trash in the same way, just on different days. People are at heart lazy, and if they can just leave something on the curb, they'll do that if it means the alternative requires expending effort (like driving somewhere).
Well I know people who do. They just haven't got a "green bin" so go to the dump!