UPDATE:

Further to my hassles getting Apple to recycle their products as promised …

Once I got the attention of Big Apple and their recycling partner Metech with a critical blog post on Dec. 15th, 2006 — I have been treated very well by both. Personal attention.

Environmentalists have been critical of Apple. I’m not at all sure those complaints are valid.

Is Apple worse than Dell? Than Nokia?

I do not trust any of them. My assumption is that all the “green initiatives” are for PR. Perhaps even meaningless public relations theatre. I hope I’m wrong.

I finally shipped 60lbs of old Apple product (free rather than the standard US$30, courtesy of Apple) to Metech in Massachusetts. (By UPS at a cost in carbon emissions, I know.) Metech promises to properly recycle the precious metals and other toxins. I assume they will — otherwise some other blogger with time on his hands will be posting it.

I had far more than 60lbs. The rest I dropped off at my local computer store. They threw them in a recycling dumpster out back, part of the local electronics recycling program that is far more convenient for me, free, but probably not as thorough.

It took time and perhaps 20 emails to organize the “official” recycling, but Apple and Metech did come through. Thanks to both!

Fact is I have always got excellent service from Apple in the dozen or so times I have needed it.