It can be difficult to put in perspective the environmental impact of our electronics. Many factors contribute to a device’s greenery (or lack thereof). Let’s see how the iPad measures up.
The infographic below, created by Sortable.com, breaks down the environmental footprint of the new iPad. The data is based on research compiled by the company.
Specifically, the CO2 emissions from one iPad equal the CO2 output of a 515-mile drive. And the new iPad is responsible for more CO2 emissions than its older brothers: The new iPad emits 180 kg of CO2, compared to 130 kg and 105 kg of CO2 for the original iPad and the iPad 2, respectively. When you average out the emissions from all 55 million iPads sold (7,590,000 kg CO2), it equals the emissions of 1.2 million cars in one year.
As depressing as those statistics may be, there are bright (green) spots on the horizon for Apple. The Cupertino giant is in the process of building a 100-acre solar facility to house its energy-hungry data center. The company anticipates that the plant will offset a significant portion of energy expenditure currently needed to run Apple servers.
Apple has also implemented recycling programs in 95% of the countries where Apple products are sold. Do you participate in device recycling? Have you accounted for your devices’ carbon footprints? Why or why not?
