San Francisco to Block Municipal Purchases of Apple Products for Dropping EPEAT

San Francisco plans to block purchases of Apple desktops and laptops by municipal agencies following the company's move to drop EPEAT certification from its products, reports the WSJ.

Officials with the San Francisco Department of Environment told CIO Journal on Monday they would send out letters over the next two weeks,informing all 50 of the city's agencies that Apple laptops and desktops "will no longer qualify" for purchase with city funds. The move comes after CIO Journal reported that Apple had removed its laptops and notebooks from a voluntary registry of green electronics, called EPEAT. The standard, created jointly by manufacturers, including Apple, government agencies, and activist groups, requires that electronics products be designed for ease in recycling and higher energy efficiency.

"We are disappointed that Apple chose to withdraw from EPEAT," said Melanie Nutter, director of San Francisco's Department of Environment, "and we hope that the city saying it will not buy Apple products will make Apple reconsider its participation."


Nutter says a 2007 policy mandates that city funds only be used to purchase EPEAT certified computers and monitors. Although her department only has an advisory role, San Francisco's CIO, Jon Walton, who does have authority, says he will back the policy not allow the purchase of Apple computers, although agencies can apply for waivers through a "long" and "onerous" process.

"It's going to be very problematic to procure Apple products," Walton said.

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