Many harmful toxins eliminated.

Apple has worked hard to eliminate many of the toxins that are a common part of notebook manufacturing. Take, for example, the mercury used in CCFL backlights and the arsenic contained in the glass of traditional LCD displays. Apple engineers removed both by choosing mercury-free LED technology and arsenic-free glass. They’ve also removed brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and PVC from circuit boards, internal cables, connectors, insulators, shock mounts, adhesives, and more. Apple has removed these toxins from MacBook computers, and they’ve done the same for the Apple LED Cinema Display, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, and iPhone 3G.

Highly recyclable.

The MacBook precision unibody enclosure is formed from a single piece of solid, recyclable aluminum, replacing dozens of extraneous parts. The display is made of recyclable glass. Both materials are very desirable to recyclers, which means the raw materials used in the new MacBooks can be reused in other products.

More energy efficient.

Because Apple makes both the hardware and the software for the MacBook, we are able to design them to work together. This allows us to make a smarter product that uses less electricity, earning it ENERGY STAR certification. For instance, to reduce energy consumption, the MacBook hard drive spins down automatically when inactive. The Macbook also decides which processor — CPU or GPU — is best suited to efficiently perform a task. The processor even throttles down to save power between keystrokes as you type. The LED-backlit display in the MacBook is another feature that plays an important part in conserving energy, consuming 30 percent less power than conventional LCD displays. And the display is designed to dim when you enter a darkened room. Together, these adjustments make the MacBook family much more energy efficient. In fact, our most powerful notebook, the MacBook Pro, can run on just one third the power of a single lightbulb.

Reduced packaging.

The new MacBook packaging is up to 41 percent smaller than the previous generation. And smaller boxes are much better for the planet. Because smaller boxes mean we can fit more boxes on each shipping pallet — up to 25 percent more. Which means more products will fit on each boat and plane. Which means fewer boats and planes are used, resulting in fewer CO2 emissions. It’s just one seemingly minor change. But it has a major positive impact on our environment.