Last Friday Apple announced a plan that would not only make it easier for iPod fans to purchase the latest model with a clear conscience, but the company tried to win over the hearts of environmentalists as well.

Apple said it will collect used iPods at any one of its stores nationwide and give users a 10-percent discount on a new iPod if they buy the player the same day they drop the old one off. With a new iPod going for $299 and an iPod mini for $199, a 10-percent discount presents a significant incentive for people to trade in their old players.

The bigger and more welcome news, according to environmental groups, is the California company said it will dispose of the used products in an "environmentally friendly" manner.

How electronics companies get rid of their waste products and discarded equipment has created a serious environmental concern in recent years, although some companies have been better than others in collecting and recycling hazardous materials.

The iPod is no exception, with its batteries, microprocessors and other potentially hazardous materials.

By encouraging customers to return their used iPods to the stores, Apple is being "more responsible" about its product, said Andrew Shalit, a shareholder advocate at Green Century Capital Management in Boston, a company that specializes in investing in environmentally friendly companies.

Shalit told United Press International that products such as iPods contain "lots of toxins, especially from batteries," so Apple's decision to be more responsible about dealing with waste products represented a step in the right direction.

Most electronics companies are "very good about delivering products to consumers, but not nearly as good about getting them returned" once they are used, Shalit said. Collecting used products and disposing of them responsibly "could actually be a financial opportunity for them," he added, citing Apple's attempt to create more repeat customers by offering discounts to attract them into its stores.

Shalit said the bigger challenge for Apple is whether and how it will collect its old computers from customers. The company currently offers no recycling incentive for used Macintosh computers, he noted, adding that desktop computers and laptops produce a great deal more industrial waste than the palm-sized iPods.

Shalit said he hopes Apple eventually will begin a program to recycle its Macintosh computers, though others were not so optimistic.

Apple is still on "the bad guys list," said Zeina al-Hajj, campaign coordinator for toxic-waste disposal at Greenpeace International in Amsterdam.

Al-Hajj told UPI that although recycling iPods was a step in the right direction, "the bottom line is not about collecting waste only." Rather, she said, Apple needs to take a leading role in manufacturing products that are less hazardous in the first place.

The "iPods become obsolete in a year, because the battery runs out after 12 months, and it's actually cheaper to buy a new one than to get a new battery," al-Hajj explained. In addition, she said, Apple has made no effort to eliminate brominated flame retardants and PVCs from its products, unlike Japan's Sony, Finland's Nokia and South Korea's Samsung, each of which has committed to phase out the toxic substances from products within the next few years.

Shihoko Goto is UPI's Senior Business Correspondent. E-mail: [email protected]

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