Apple recently announced that it would be dropping out of a scheme that certifies environmentally friendly products, citing that it no longer fit in with their design direction. So, if a company as universally loved as Apple can suddenly decide that the environment no longer has an impact on the way it create its products, what does this mean for the rest of us?
Ultimately, when it comes to electronic design, the more environmentally friendly you are, the wider the range of people you are likely to be able to attract. However, there can be problems with an environmentally friendly approach too. Many people criticised Apple for the cost of repairs, and it is felt that the high cost of certain repairs was due to the design. Therefore, being green can have high costs, and whilst many consumers are keen to be as green as possible, they can sometimes be far less happy when this will convert into long term expenditure.
The reason for the departure of Apple from the scheme is not 100% clear, but many feel it will be down to the difficulty encountered when repairing the products. As such, it may still meet the criteria of the scheme in many different ways, but simply not be able to compete in one certain area of electronic design.
Of course, Apple is a huge corporation and this change is unlikely to affect sales significantly for them. But what about for other companies? Apple continue to be very environmentally focused when it comes to electronics design, and it is therefore clear that environmental considerations are still important, even for a company of that size. Just because they have dropped out of one scheme, it does not mean they are abandoning a green ethos altogether, and instead they are most likely trying to balance their green credentials with consumer satisfaction as closely as possible.
This should therefore be a similar approach for any business. Electronics design should be as focused on environmental aspects as usability and meeting in the middle of the two is likely to produce the best results.
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