Apple came in last in the latest Greenpeace study ranking computer companies by how eco-friendly their manufacturing processes are and how readily they recycle old machines. Lenovo, which ranked last in a previous study, shot up to the top position, mainly due to its comprehensive global recycling program and reporting of recycled e-waste.
But Apple continued to "scrape the bottom of the barrel," according to Greenpeace, which has been issuing quarterly electronics "green rankings" since 2006. In a satirical PR blitz that started last year, Greenpeace accused Apple of using toxic chemicals such as flame retardants and polyvinyl chloride in its computers and having a limited take-back and recycling program, which means that old Apples often get dumped in poor countries where toxins leak.
AlterNet has a nice historical summary of the Apple-Greenpeace standoff.
