You know how everything is going green? Government departments and companies are unveiling various efforts concerning green this and green that. Mostly I get a sense that it’s just for show but I guess that the issue is at least being raised is good and more fundamental programs will possibly follow in years to come. After traveling in Europe for a few weeks I realize better than before that going green cannot just be a fancy fad that companies sign up for to gain quick gain but rather a fundamental rethink of the ways a society, businesses, and individuals think and act. Homes all over Europe sort their refuse, for example. Glass in one place, plastic in another, batteries separately, paper in its own, etc. Then most of it is recycled or at least disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. Alternatives for transport are available with various forms of hybrid and biofuel cars, and public transportation is readily available, effective and affordable.

But I’m not going to debate the situation as far as public transport, refuse sorting, cars, etc. are concerned in the Middle East because we already know that situation very well.


What I will do is point out that ABM (Apple IMC ME) has a real possibility here to make a good gesture and gain some good publicity by setting up a recycling scheme for iPods, Macs, and other Apple products. And this is not something new but it's worth reminding ourselves about this. Let’s say you buy a Mac from an iStyle store, they offer to take the old Mac from you and recycle it. This would be good for the environment, it would be good for Mac buyers who would know their old equipment would not litter a landfill somewhere, and it would, presumably, also be good for ABM since they get good-will out of it and a sense of doing the right thing.

And consider this - If there’s even a slight chance that someone would buy a Mac for the first time just because there was a recycling program offered, wouldn’t it be worth it then? Look at Toyota and their Prius model. They've had way more demand for their hybrid car in North America and Europe than they've managed to meet for years and years.

Apple in the US offers this sort of recycling program and although I’m not sure they do in Europe or not, I don't know why ABM could not do it in the Middle East. Perhaps they can’t do it under the name of “Apple IMC ME” but why not then do it as a separate company within the MDS group they belong to. Sure it may cost some money in the short term but we know that these issues are getting increasingly important for good-will as well as bottom lines, so being early in the game should be a good thing.

As EmiratesMac Apple User Group we always accept old equipment as donations. If possible we’ll fix it up and hand it over to someone who could use it. And that’s obviously a good thing but it’s not exactly the recycling we’re talking about here. More needs to be done and it’s obviously the responsibility of all of us to act but it’s my view that commercial companies need to be at the forefront and perhaps even lead the way.

But I also really don't like just bringing up examples from US and Europe because the solutions that work there may not just automatically work here. I'm not sure how a Middle East recycling scheme would have to be different than one that works in other parts of the world but that it would have to be different somehow I would image.