Apple rejects UK green iPhone scheme

Apple has refused to allow its iPhone to be included within a new UK ranking of environmental friendliness to be launched by original iPhone carrier, O2.

The UK’s first-ever green ranking scheme for mobile phones gives handsets a rating between zero and five based on their environmental footprint. Handsets from competitors, including Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung are included in the scheme, which already covers 93 percent of the devices offered via O2.

The scheme asseses handsets on the “the ecological impact of their raw materials, the manufacturing process, packaging, how long they are likely to last, energy efficiency and how easy they are to reuse or recycle,” reports The Guardian.

Pressed on the matter, an Apple spokesperson refused to be drawn, instead pointing to the company’s existing environmental reports. The ratings in the scheme are based on answers by manufacturers to a questionnaire of 63 questions

But the company should be more transparent, argue Greenpeace. “While Apple has recently made important strides in eliminating toxic chemicals from its products and the reporting of their environmental footprint, it still lags behind others in transparency,” said Gary Cook, IT sector analyst for Greenpeace International.

“Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the social and environmental impact of the technology they buy and we believe this kind of product transparency will help empower them to make greener choices,” said Ronan Dunne, O2′s UK chief executive.