When it comes to being environmentally friendly, Apple approaches things differently — through our products. That’s why MacBook is energy efficient, free of many harmful toxins, and achieves an EPEAT Gold rating.
View a PDF of Apple’s Environmental Status Report for MacBook
Apple and the Environment
Apple takes a complete product life cycle approach to determining our environmental impact.
Life cycle impact.
Apple’s life cycle analysis accounts for all emissions associated with our products. That includes raw material extraction, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, a three- or four-year period of use,1 and recycling. In the course of this analysis, we determined that more than 95 percent of Apple’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from the products we make.
Energy Efficiency
MacBook is designed to be energy efficient right out of the box. It’s even earned the EPA’s ENERGY STAR qualification for its low power consumption.
Efficient power supply.
MacBook includes a highly efficient power supply that reduces the amount of power wasted when bringing electricity from the wall to your computer. Lower power consumption reduces energy bills and lessens the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
Advanced power management.
Unlike a lot of Windows-based PC systems, MacBook uses energy-efficient hardware components that work hand in hand with the operating system to conserve power. Mac OS X spins down hard drives and activates sleep mode on already energy-efficient LED-backlit displays. And it balances tasks across both central processors and graphics processors. Mac OS X never misses a power-saving opportunity, no matter how small. It even regulates the processor between keystrokes, reducing power between the letters you type. That’s just one of many ways Apple manages small amounts of power that add up to big savings.
ENERGY STAR qualification.
MacBook meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA, making it ENERGY STAR qualified. ENERGY STAR 5.0 sets significantly higher efficiency limits for power supplies and aggressive limits for the computer’s typical annual power consumption.
Eliminating Toxic Substances
It’s what MacBook doesn’t have that makes it more environmentally friendly. It’s free of many harmful toxins like mercury, arsenic, BFRs, and PVC.
Fewer toxins.
The greatest environmental challenge facing the computer industry today is the presence of arsenic, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), mercury, phthalates, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in products. Apple engineers have worked hard to eliminate BFRs and PVC from MacBook circuit boards, internal cables, connectors, insulators, adhesives, and more.2 And they’ve eliminated many other toxins that are a common part of notebook computer manufacturing — choosing, for example, mercury-free backlighting and arsenic-free glass for the MacBook display.
Longer-lasting Battery
Unlike typical removable batteries, the built-in battery in the new MacBook can last up to 1000 charges, or five years of normal use.
Lasts up to 5 years.
The removable batteries in most notebooks are designed to be replaced every year or two, which means lots of batteries are used up and discarded. But the battery in the new MacBook lasts up to five years — or 1000 recharges. So it uses just one battery in the same time a typical notebook uses three, reducing waste and environmental impact.3 And to help ensure that batteries are disposed of in an environmentally responsible way, Apple offers a battery take-back program in 95 percent of the countries in which it does business.
Reduced Packaging
Apple designs MacBook packaging to be as small as possible, so more products fit on fewer planes.
Smaller boxes, fewer planes.
New MacBook packaging is 53 percent smaller than that of the original MacBook and 20 percent smaller than that of its predecessor. And smaller boxes are much better for the planet. Because smaller boxes mean we can fit more boxes on each shipping pallet. Which means more products will fit on each boat and plane. Which means fewer boats and planes are used, resulting in fewer CO2 emissions. It’s one seemingly minor change. But it has a major positive impact on our environment.
Recyclability
Because MacBook is made from high-grade polycarbonate, it’s more likely to be recycled and reused in other products at the end of its long, productive life.
Recyclable materials.
Apple has minimized the waste when MacBook reaches end of life through its ultraefficient design and the use of recyclable materials such as high-grade polycarbonate, aluminum, and magnesium, which recyclers can reuse for other products.
Free recycling for your old computer.
Apple offers a free recycling program for old Mac and Apple displays. Learn more on the Apple Recycling Site
EPEAT Gold.
MacBook has earned EPEAT Gold status for its responsible manufacture, energy efficiency, and recyclability.
EPEAT Gold rating.
Through its innovative and environmentally friendly design, MacBook has earned the highest rating of EPEAT Gold. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or 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.
