An apple a day keeps the doctor away. However, an Apple in your pocket or purse can damage the environment, according to Greenpeace. Despite promises from Apple to remove hazardous chemicals such as PVC from their products by 2008, a recent analysis of the iPhone revealed PVC as well as the presence of toxic brominated compounds. Additionally, they discovered that the iPhone's battery was glued and soldered in to the handset, making battery removal and recycling difficult.
In addition to chemicals that harm the planet, testing revealed that the iPhone contains chemicals that may harm your special iParts. According to Dr. David Santillo, Senior Scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories, pieces of the iPhone contain chemicals that “have been classified in Europe as 'toxic to reproduction, category 2' because of their long-recognized ability to interfere with sexual development in mammals”. These chemicals have already been banned from toys in Europe.
“Apple should eliminate the use of these chemicals from its products range,” recommends Santillo. Additionally, Greenpeace is still calling on Apple to offer a global take-back policy to ensure that the millions of iPhones sold this year can eventually be returned for recycling. Competitors such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson already have similar policies in place, and are also working to remove harmful chemicals from their products. oSnap, iPhone!