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Apple chief executive Steve Jobs has publicly signaled his desire to make Apple “greener” in a dramatic policy shift for a company that is known for playing its cards very close to its chest. Under pressure from environmental campaign groups such as Greenpeace, Mr Jobs announced that the company had been taking steps to remove toxic chemicals from its computers and iPods. Mr Jobs claimed yesterday that Apple was ahead of most of its competitors in the removal of harmful substances and the recycling of unwanted products. Like other companies pushing their green credentials, including Marks & Spencer, Apple is clearly keen to capitalize on the growing trend for consumers to consider environmental factors when buying products. Shortly after Mr Jobs spoke out, a new “Greener Apple” logo appeared on Apple’s homepage.

Apple’s future plans include removing arsenic in displays by the end of 2008. By the same date it will stop using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Both PVC and BFRs are considered hazardous because they do not break down when disposed of and can accumulate in body tissue and cause a variety of health problems. It also said it would start using LED backlighting for displays instead of mercury “when technically and economically feasible”. The green group pointed out that Apple’s pledge not to dump returned gadgets and computers in Asia and India only applied to US customers. It called on Apple to offer a global takeback and recycling service. It’s kinda funny to see Greanpeace members accusing Apple from not being “green” enough, while there are hundreds of other mostly Asian companies which absolutely don’t care about such things…