Apple's MacBook-focused event taking place yesterday at its Cupertino headquarters saw the release of several new notebooks, as well as a new, 24-inch Cinema Display. Apple's chief executive, Steve Jobs, stated that the company had made considerable efforts to further reduce its impact on the environment. Details about Apple's latest developments in this area can be found below.

Next-Gen Notebooks

The new MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro both have a precision unibody enclosure crafted from a single block of aluminum, resulting in a thinner, but also a greener laptop.

“Apple has invented a whole new way of building notebooks from a single block of aluminum. And, just as important, they are the industry’s greenest notebooks,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “The new MacBooks offer incredible features our users will love – like their stunning all-metal design, great 3D graphics and LED backlit displays – at prices up to $700 less than before.”

The entire new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0, EPEAT Gold and RoHS environmental standards, and leads the industry in terms of the elimination of toxic chemicals by containing no brominated flame retardants, using only PVC-free internal cables and components, and energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass.

The EU's 2006 Battery Directive, part of RoHS, updates existing regulation from 1991, and seeks to prevent the unnecessary use of toxic metals in batteries, but also imposes new device designs, making it easier for the user to dispose and replace his / her own battery. Apple has addressed this directive by allowing users to swap not just the battery in its new notebooks, but also the storage unit.

Apple's environmental status report for the new 15-inch MacBook Pro (a detailed version - PDF - is also available).
Credits: Apple

24-Inch Apple Cinema Display

“The new LED Cinema Display is the greenest Apple display ever,” says the company. Made with mercury-free LED technology, arsenic-free glass and highly recyclable materials, the LED Cinema Display meets stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements, and achieves EPEAT Gold status. Apple also notes that its latest display contains no brominated flame retardants, while all internal cables and components are PVC-free. Additionally, the display's packaging has been reduced by 44 percent.

So we've seen what RoHS is, but what about the EPEAT? Well, as the Internet will tell you, it is an independent organization that helps customers compare the environmental performance of notebooks and desktops. Products recognized as EPEAT Gold products are those that meet all of the 23 required criteria and at least 75 percent of the optional ones. The EPEAT program was conceived by the US EPA, and is based on IEEE 1680 standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products.

Apple's environmental status report for the new 24-inch Cinema Display
Credits: Apple

Apple is on track to eliminate even more toxic chemicals from its products. In the 2008 Environmental Update, Steve Jobs provides an overview on Apple’s progress to eliminate mercury and arsenic from displays, and Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) from internal components. Steve Jobs also talks about Apple’s policy on climate change, the steps taken to improve product energy-efficiency, as well as about overall recycling performance during 2007.