Apple calls on companies to copy its stance on green issues

Consumer electronics giant Apple has called on other companies to copy its green strategies.

"There are some ideas we want every company to copy," read a full-page advertisement on the back of the Metro. "Because when everyone makes the environment a priority, we all benefit."

The ad is thought to be a veiled jab at Samsung, the South Korean competitor often accused of taking ideas from Apple.

The two companies are currently embroiled in a second major lawsuit over copying intellectual property.

The advert is also a part of Apple's Earth Day advertising push, which emphasises the company's focus on making more sustainable and "green" products.

"Better. It's in our DNA," narrates CEO Tim Cook in a video posted on Apple's website.

"And better can't be better if it doesn't consider everything. Our products. Our values. And an even stronger commitment to the future. To use greener materials, less packaging, to do everything we can to keep out products out of landfills."

Apple has earned accolades for its dedication to the environment. Seventy-five per cent of its buildings use renewable energy, and Cook has pledged to raise that number to 100 per cent.

It certifies all its products under the EPEAT rankings for easier recycling. Furthermore, it has made its entire product line meet Energy Star guidelines.

A recent Greenpeace report called Apple "the most improved company", when it comes to green issues.

The same report also praised Box, Facebook and Google for committing to powering all their datacentres with renewable energy. It criticized Amazon Web Services and Twitter, however, for operating "the dirtiest and least transparent companies in the sector."

Cook hired a former EPA chief to help transition Apple's buildings to green energy and even told a conservative think tank to "get out of the stock" for questioning his decision to follow optional environmental standards.

Apple has added a dedicated page on its website for environmental issues, where users can read product reports and further details about how Apple works with the environment.

"We have a long way to go," Cook says in the video. "But now, more than ever, we will work to leave the world better than we found it."