San Francisco Drops Apple Purchases Over EPEAT Withdrawal

Apple, along with a large list of other technology companies, abided by EPEAT regulations to ensure that its products had a minimal impact on the environment. Just a few days ago, Apple requested that all its product be removed from the EPEAT certification list, which will have a knock-on effect for schools and businesses in San Francisco. State employees can use city funds to buy products covered by EPEAT, although they'll no longer be able to purchase future Apple products now that they're no longer registered under the scheme.

The city requires that any computer products that are purchased by agencies be 100% EPEAT compatible, something that no longer applies to Apple's products. Around 50 departments and 28,000 employees currently rely on the EPEAT list for technology purchases, and the University of California is mulling a decision to suspend Apple computer purchases following the EPEAT removal. The institution is currently reviewing the decision by working with Apple over the next two weeks in coordination with school administrators.

Apple, meanwhile, is placing emphasis on other standards such as Energy Star: "Apple takes a comprehensive approach to measuring our environmental impact and all of our products meet the strictest energy efficiency standards backed by the US government, Energy Star 5.2. We also lead the industry by reporting each product's greenhouse gas emissions on our website, and Apple products are superior in other important environmental areas not measured by EPEAT, such as removal of toxic materials."

[via The Telegraph]