MacBook

The greenest MacBook ever.

Highly recyclable and even more energy efficient, the new MacBook is designed with the environment in mind.

Environmental status report

The new 13-inch MacBook embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

  • Arsenic-free glass
  • Brominated flame retardant-free
  • Mercury-free
  • PVC-free
  • 41% smaller packaging
  • Highly recyclable aluminium and glass enclosures

Apple is most proud of what isn't in MacBook.

What’s common in other notebooks is conspicuously missing in the new MacBook. Take for example, mercury used in CCFL backlights and arsenic contained in the glass of traditional LCD displays. Apple engineers have said no to both of these substances. They’ve chosen LED technology and arsenic-free glass. They’ve also said no to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in logic boards, and PVC in cables and connectors. In fact, Apple has done more than remove these toxins from the new MacBook. They’ve done the same thing for the rest of the new MacBook family, the LED Cinema Display, every single iPod, and the iPhone. Sometimes saying no is a good thing.

MacBook laptop's unibody case design

Fewer parts.

Greener parts.

The new MacBook is built with significantly fewer parts. And the parts that remain are significantly greener. Take the unibody, the foundation of the notebook itself. It’s a single piece of solid, recyclable aluminium that replaces dozens of extraneous pieces once destined for landfill.

Small volume speaks volumes.

Slimmer MacBook laptop packaging

Made from recycled material, the new MacBook packaging is 41 percent smaller than the previous generation. And that’s huge. It means less paper used for smaller boxes. It also means Apple can transport the same amount of products to their customers using fewer planes.

A more energy efficient notebook.

Because Apple makes its own hardware and software, it’s able to create smarter products that use less electricity. To reduce energy consumption, the hard drive spins down automatically when its inactive. To be more efficient, the display dims when you enter a darkened room. The processor even throttles down to save power between keystrokes as you type. MacBook also decides which processor — CPU or GPU — is best suited to efficiently perform a task. All these little adjustments add up. When it’s turned on, the new MacBook uses one quarter of the power of a single lightbulb.

ENERGY STAR logo

The new MacBook LED-backlit display is another environmental breakthrough. LED uses 30 percent less power than conventional LCD displays. It’s mercury free, highly recyclable and encased in arsenic-free glass.

MacBook meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy, giving it ENERGY STAR certification.

EPEAT Gold

EPEAT Gold logo

Because MacBook is environmentally innovative, it has earned the highest rating of EPEAT Gold. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT, evaluates the environmental impact of a product based on how recyclable it is, how much energy it uses, and how it’s designed and manufactured. Few products achieve EPEAT Gold status — and even fewer notebooks.

Useful today. And tomorrow.

The venerable Recycling symbol

After its long and productive life, your MacBook is almost entirely recyclable. MacBook is made from materials like aluminium and glass, making it highly-desirable to recyclers. And highly-likely that its parts won’t end up in a landfill. This also makes it possible for the raw materials in MacBook to be used again later in other types of products. And Apple offers recycling services in nearly all countries where Apple products are sold.

A commitment that starts with products.

When it comes to being environmentally friendly, Apple approaches the challenge differently — through products like the new MacBook. Unlike other companies, Apple controls every aspect of the production of its computers. So Apple designers and engineers can minimise their carbon footprint in ways others can’t. They design them with fewer parts. They build them using recyclable materials. They even create software that makes them more energy efficient. On the new MacBook, the result is a new standard in green design. Download environmental status report