Apple and E-Waste

It is Earth Day, and a major issue for those concerned about the sustainability of the planet is the waste generated by obsolescent electronic devices. Upgrades are happening sooner than before, and this results in a burgeoning number of items to be recycled, or reused. There are about 50 million tons of e-waste produced in the US each year, and only about one quarter of that waste is recycled in a safe way. That was reported on a local TV station (see video clip below) this morning, as the outlet on the news that Apple is going to be creating an e-Waste program that will support the Basel Action Network guidelines; or, at least, complies with the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. Apple has had a recycling program ongoing, so this may be a bit of a fluff. Apple Stores will offer free recycling, and the company vows to use more renewable energy to power their outlet locations.