Apple goes green

We all know that we're supposed to recycle cell phones, batteries, and other electronic devices because they contain harmful chemicals that are bad for the environment. Often times however, we do not stop to think if there is a way for companies to eliminate these dangerous elements altogether. Apple is attempting to do just that by going green. In 2006, Apple completely eliminated the use of CRT's, or cathode ray tubes. By comparison, Dell, HP, and Gateway all still ship these toxic CRT's in their products to their customers today. Their products are recycled at a rate of 20% in 2008 and by 2009 predictions are estimated around 30%. By comparison, only 10% of other companies electronic devices are recycled. Apple collects and processes all of their recycles here in the U.S., assuring that the few harmful elements remaining in their products are not lost shipping them overseas. The company even collects old or unwanted iPods in their store so that the devices can be disposed of properly. As an incentive, they offer a 10% discount on the purchase of a new iPod with their recycle, which can add up if you want the latest model, costing around $200. Apple again is outdoing the competition and assuring that their products are disposed of correctly when a user upgrades. So next time you're thinking about throwing out unwanted technology, ask yourself, what would Apple do?