Recycles.Org  BETA Nonprofit Materials Exchange Network Computer & Office Electronics Recycling & Reuse

Date: Friday, 24 February 2006

Title: Environmental Activists Urge Al Gore to Engage in Dialog on Computer Recycling

Source: http://www.tnimc.org/feature/display/15780/index.htm

Remarks: by Robin Schneider Phone: (512) 299-1640

Environmental activists from at least six states held an action Friday at the Nashville office of former Vice President Al Gore, who sits on the Board of Apple. Activists improvised lyrics to Paul Simon's 'You Can Call Us, Al' and delivered a prepaid phone card to his office to make it easy for him to accept their invitation for a meeting and dialog on electronic waste and recycling. After getting Dell and HP to support producer take back recycling of discarded toxic electronics bearing their brand names, the Computer TakeBack Campaign, a national coalition of environmental watchdog organizations, turned its sights on Apple Computer. "Al Gore has been a vocal supporter of environmental issues. We are appealing to Al Gore to use his public profile and credibility on these issues to work with us to move Apple beyond its lagging recycling efforts," says Robin Schneider Vice Chair of the Computer Take Back Campaign. "In June 2005, Apple agreed to start taking back obsolete iPods at Apple Stores, but refuses to make it easy for consumers to recycle other old Apple electronics. Apple continues to oppose e-waste producer take back recycling legislation across the country, even though they operate producer take back programs in European and Asian countries. Al Gore can help us turn this around and we hope he will. Because Apple and other electronics makers do not take back obsolete products, most electronic waste ends up in landfills or is shipped overseas as electronic scrap, polluting the land, air and water causing significant impacts on human health. Apple electronic waste contains toxic chemicals, such as lead, mercury, and brominated flame retardants. Vice President Gore has refused overtures from the Computer TakeBack Campaign to play a constructive role in advancing recycling and opening up dialog with Apple. Steve Jobs has dismissed the concerns of the Campaign in front of shareholders last April. This year, socially responsible shareholders have introduced a shareholder resolution, which the Campaign wants Gore to vocally support. It requires the Board to: -Set public take back goals for end-of-life equipment - Put measures in place to prevent improper export of hazardous waste - Report on environmental impact of its recycling - Explain Apple's lobbying position on take back legislation The goal of the Computer Take Back Campaign is to protect the health and well being of electronics users, workers and the communities where electronics are produced and discarded by requiring consumer electronics manufacturers and brand owners to take full responsibility for the life cycle of their products, through effective public policy requirements and enforceable agreements.