Section 4.3.1.7, for example, says: "All covered products shall not contain molded-in or glued-in metal inserts in plastic enclosures unless they are easy to remove."

"The whole migration to thin form factors is having a huge impact," said Barbara Kyle, national coordinator at the Electronics TakeBack Coalition. The group brings together organizations from across the U.S. that have a hand in the recycling and re-use of electronics products.

On Friday, Kyle on the organization's website arguing that Apple's new Macbook Pro with retina display computers do not meet the EPEAT requirements.

"A lot of design changes we are seeing are having an impact in the area of product longevity," she said. "Manufacturers need to look at the design changes they need to make while maintaining their commitment to the environment."

While few consumers are thought to have taken apart the new laptop, one place that has is iFixit.com. The company specializes in repair of electronics and its product tear-downs are becoming as much a part of Apple launches as the long lines and hysteria.