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"Greener" Apple power adapters will cost manufacturer

Manufacturer Volex makes power and USB cables for Apple. As a part of Apple's "green push," the company will move to halogen-free power cables within the year, according to the London Evening Standard. The change will initially cost Volex quite a bit of money, but it's hoped that long-term environmental benefits will outweigh the initial investment.

Volex expects a hit of about £3.9 million (about US$6 million as of this writing) in set-up costs. However, Volex expects to see profits in line with market expectations, despite these "one-off" costs.

It's important to remove halogen from these cables as they're often incinerated after being thrown away. The incineration process can release dioxins and furans into the atmosphere. Apple has been criticized for its environmental performance and has worked to change that. Late last year, Apple jumped to fourth place on a Greenpeace survey, up from where it stood in 11th place just four years prior.

[Via Giga Om]