Apple has been taking a beating for not being as eco-friendly as its peers in the technology space. No more, says Steve Jobs.

In an open letter to investors, Jobs outlines the steps Apple is taking to green up its act. He notes that the house that Mac built (and iPod is making the mortgage payments on) has been pretty eco-friendly all along, though the company could have done a better job of trumpeting its work in that area.

Luckily, the company is all too happy to talk about it now:

During the 2006 calendar year, Apple recycled 13 million pounds of e-waste, equal to 9.5 percent of the weight of all products Apple sold seven years earlier. Jobs said he expects that percentage to grow to 13 percent in 2007, and to 20 percent in 2008. By 2010, Apple's forecast calls for the recycling or 19 million pounds of e-waste per year, or nearly 30 percent of the product weight the firm sold seven years earlier.

There's also a little admission that is sure to bring a smile to Mac enthusiasts. It turns out that rumors of LED backlit Macs and MacBooks later this year are true.

No more earth-killing cold cathode glow for you!