Environmentalists Smell Something Rotten at Apple

CNN.com
is running a story today about an environmentalist campaign about the problems associated with disposing of electronic equipment.  A
good portion of the article deals with complaints about Apple Computer's recycling and reuse policies. After successfully campaigning against Dell for its recycling policies, environmentalists are turning their attention to Apple: "CEO Steve Jobs and Apple board members, including former Vice President Al Gore Jr., have each received at least 400 faxes about the company's contribution to e-waste, said Robin Schneider, executive director of the Austin, Texas-based Texas Campaign for the Environment. The group is asking Apple to reduce or eliminate recycling fees for consumers and build in-store recycling centers."

Although Apple has joined an initiative to educate consumers about proper disposal of e-waste, Schneider wants to see Apple take a more active role in the actual recycling of their consumers' e-waste: "We'd like nothing better for Earth Day than for Steve Jobs to say he's agreed to producer takeback recycling."

See all those iPod minis in front of Steve? Now picture them in a landfill 2 years from now after their batteries have died and their owners decide to upgrade rather than spending $50-100 on a new battery.

[Thanks, Andy!]