Recyclers disagree on impact of glued-in Retina MacBook Pro batteries
Apple's solution to shaving thickness from the Retina MacBook Pro—gluing its lithium polymer battery cells directly to the aluminum unibody shell—continues to spark debate among proponents of sustainable electronics. Apple submitted the device to the Green Electronics Council for an EPEAT Gold rating last week, prompting critics to argue that the glued-in battery should disqualify it from any rating at all. But it turns out that some recyclers disagree, saying it isn't dramatically more difficult to safely remove the battery than in other modern devices.
Muddying the waters further is Apple itself. On the one hand, Apple's position seems to be that the Retina MacBook Pro qualifies for its EPEAT rating because the battery can be easily removed with "common" tools. On the other hand, an internal memo sent to AppleCare and certified third-party technicians claims that the battery should not be removed from the aluminum casing "for any reason."
