Apple had been part of EPEAT and actively promoted the environmental ratings of its products until it’s surprise decision last month to drop 39 of its computers from the ratings registry.

In an open letter today, Apple's outgoing senior VP of hardware engineering Bob Mansfield said in part: 

“We’ve recently heard from many loyal Apple customers who were disappointed to learn that we had removed our products from the EPEAT rating system. I recognize that this was a mistake. Starting today, all eligible Apple products are back on EPEAT.”

The City of San Francisco was one of the first high profile Apple customers to state it could no longer authorize the purchase of Apple products without the EPEAT ratings. 

While he didn’t address the reasons for Apple’s change of mind, Mansfield emphasized the company’s commitment to energy conservation and greener products. 

“For example, Apple led the industry in removing harmful toxins such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).  We are the only company to comprehensively report greenhouse gas emissions for every product we make, taking into account the entire product lifecycle,” said Mansfield. “And we’ve removed plastics wherever possible, in favor of materials that are more highly recyclable, more durable, more efficient and longer lasting.”

It’s not known if Apple will change any of its manufacturing or designs as a result of sticking with EPEAT. The fact that some components aren’t easily removable, such as the battery, in Apple products, runs counter to the EPEAT certification that requires products be easy to dissemble for recycling purposes. 

None of this impacts Apple’s iPad for now since EPEAT hasn’t yet established guidelines for tablets. 

Mansfield said Apple continues to make “the most energy-efficient computers in the world and our entire product line exceeds the stringent ENERGY STAR 5.2 government standard. No one else in our industry can make that claim.”