Apple retail store (Photo credit: Kansir)
Unfortunately, Apple devices and services create pollution like everything else. The company will start offering free recycling for its products soon. Its stores, offices, and data centers will soon be powered by renewable energy, too. Recently, the company's website debuted a new environmental section, highlighting the companies efforts to utilize alternative energy. Apple wants to become more green and reduce the amount of electronic junk in landfills across the world.
Apple operates 420 worldwide stores that sell its products, including the iPhone 5S. In the past, the company took still-working devices from consumers in exchange for gift cards. All Apple devices, working or not, will now be eligible for free recycling, though. Electronics can't be put in landfills because they contain a number of harmful toxins. Plus, Apple has sold over one billion tech products in the past seven years.
Of course, this initiative smartly coincides with Earth Day. Putting itself at the forefront of environmental friendliness is advantageous for Apple. Its products are created using energy created from natural gas and coal in power plans after all. In 2012, technology products and services created two percent of the world's carbon emissions, according to Greenpeace. Technology companies utilize huge data centers that utilize a lot of energy and increase emissions.
Typically, these services comprise what is known as cloud computing. Such services collectively sap more energy than all but five countries worldwide. Only China, Japan, India, Russia, and the United States use more energy right now. For years now, Apple has been the world's largest technology company. It's now attempting to create more solutions than problems, which is an admirable goal. ISMagazine believes the company could make some progress here.
Emissions cause a lot of problems for people worldwide. Everyone might love the iPhone 5S, but the energy needed to create them is overwhelming. In the end, overall emissions will only increase if more companies fail to take action. Apple's actions are more than commendable these days.