Greenpeace “Green My Apple” Campaign

In 2004 Greenpeace launched a campaign to reduce electronic waste. In 2006 they published a ranking guide to “pressure individual companies to improve policies and practices.” At the time of this publication the company furthest back in the rankings, surprisingly, was Apple. It was then that Greenpeace decided to launch a very different campaign, one that urged Apple fans to demand a greener product. Greenpeace launched the Green My Apple website. When you entered the site the first words were: “We love our Macs. We just wish they came in green.”  

After many messages from Apple fans sending letters, pictures, and art, in May 2007 the announcement of “A Greener Apple” was posted on the front page of the site, with a message from Steve Jobs making a commitment to a greener Apple.

 After the Greenpeace “Green My Apple” campaign, Apple became the first laptop maker in March 2009 to eliminate toxic poly vinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). 

Now Greenpeace says: "So far so good. But Apple still has some work to do. At the moment, the company has been very weak on its climate and emissions reductions policies. Although it boldly quit the US Chamber of Commerce in protest of climate-unfriendly lobbying in Congress, the company needs to take real action to become a leader on climate or risk losing out on its green credentials."

“Apple's visibility gives it potential as an environmental leader, something it should embrace or lose out to others. Indeed, Apple's position has been slipping slightly in recent rankings.”