EPEAT measures and ranks the recyclability of computers, and the group’s certifications are requirements for come company and government agency purchase programs.
Apple’s withdrawal of all of its computers from the EPEAT program over a week ago led to speculation that the MacBook Pro with Retina Display didn’t earn a gold ranking thanks to its glued in batteries and non-serviceable display. Apple said at the time that its “design direction was no longer consistent with the EPEAT requirements.”
The company raised eyebrows a few days later when Bob Mansfield, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, said that dropping EPEAT participation was a mistake and that it was resubmitting its Mac lineup.
Assuming the Retina Display laptop didn’t meet the requirements for a gold certification before, it seems likely that EPEAT changed its standards for the rating to accomodate the new MacBook Pro model. Whether or not that change was a concession to Apple or a revision to help modernize the certification requirements, however, isn’t clear.