Highly recyclable and even more energy efficient, MacBook Air has been designed with the environment in mind.
View a PDF of Apple’sEnvironmental Status Report
Environmental status report
MacBook Air embodies Apple’s continuing environmental commitment. It’s designed with the following features to reduce its environmental impact:
- Arsenic-free display glass
- BFR-free
- Mercury-free LED-backlit display
- PVC-free internal cables
- Highly recyclable aluminium enclosure
- Meets ENERGY STAR Version 5.0 requirements
- Rated EPEAT Gold
Many harmful toxins eliminated.
Apple has worked hard to eliminate many of the toxins that are a common part of notebook manufacturing. Take, for example, the mercury used in CCFL backlights and the arsenic contained in the glass of traditional LCD displays. Apple engineers removed both by choosing mercury-free LED technology and arsenic-free glass. They also removed brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from circuit boards, internal cables, connectors, insulators, shock mounts, adhesives and more. Apple has removed these toxins from MacBook Air, just as we have for the new MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro and Mac mini; the Apple LED Cinema Display; and the iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod touch and iPhone 3G.
Highly recyclable.
The precision unibody enclosure of MacBook Air is formed from a single piece of solid, recyclable aluminium, replacing dozens of parts. And since aluminium is very desirable to recyclers, the raw materials used in the MacBook Air can be reused in other products.
Energy efficient.
Apple makes both the hardware and the software for MacBook Air, so we’re able to design them to work together. This allows us to make a smarter product that uses less electricity. For instance, to reduce energy consumption, the hard drive spins down automatically when inactive. MacBook Air also decides which processor — CPU or GPU — is best suited to efficiently perform a task. The processor even throttles down to save power between keystrokes as you type.
The LED-backlit display in MacBook Air is another feature that plays an important part in conserving energy, consuming 30 percent less power than conventional LCD displays. And the display is designed to dim when you enter a darkened room. Together, these adjustments make MacBook Air incredibly energy efficient.
In fact, MacBook Air meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy, earning it ENERGY STAR certification. In addition, MacBook Air meets the latest efficiency requirements of the ENERGY STAR Version 5.0 Specification for Computers before its July 2009 effective date. ENERGY STAR 5.0 sets significantly higher efficiency limits for power supplies and aggressive limits for the computer’s typical annual power consumption.
EPEAT Gold.
Because MacBook Air is environmentally innovative, it has earned the highest rating of EPEAT Gold. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) evaluates the environmental impact of a product based on how recyclable it is, how much energy it uses and how it’s designed and manufactured. Few products achieve EPEAT Gold status — and even fewer notebooks.
A commitment that starts with products.
When it comes to being environmentally friendly, Apple approaches the challenge differently — through products such as MacBook Air. Unlike other companies, Apple controls every aspect of the production of its computers. So Apple designers and engineers can minimise their carbon footprint in ways others can’t. They design them with fewer parts. They build them using recyclable materials. They even create software that makes them more energy efficient. The result is a new standard in green design. Read about Apple’s environmental commitment in the Apple 2008 Environmental Update
