Apple CEO Steve Jobs didn't skip the Green vote as he introduced new iPod nanos and a slightly revised iPod touch today, reassuring that both products reflect Apple's growing focus on being environmentally friendly.
"We have an environmental checklist we use internally," Jobs revealed, before informing keynote attendees that the both new iPods are free of four of the most highly toxic materials: arsenic, Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and Mercury.
Because the new iPods are encased in an aluminium chassis. they are also "highly recyclable," Jobs said. "We think these new nanos are the cleanest, most toxic free iPods we've ever built," he added.
The danger posed by such materials is increasingly understood by manufacturers, all the materials named have been traditionally used to manufacture computers - indeed most computers from pre-2006 contain some or all of the following, which is why proper recycling is essential.
Arsenic, for example, is extremely poisonous, arsenic is used in LCD displays to prevent defects and can leak into ecosystems during product manufacture and disposal.
A Greenpeace campaign and the inclusion of environmental crusader, Al Gore, on Apple's board forced Apple to become more transparent about its environmental record in 2007, making multiple commitments to a greener future.
In revealing the eco-credentials of the new iPods, Jobs was confirming the company remains on course to meet the promises it has made before. The company has already committed to the complete elimination of arsenic thus year and mercury (as soon as technically and economically feasible) in its displays.
Apple will completely eliminate use of Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) and PVC by the end of this year.
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