RaduTyrsina
News Team
Pollution is one of the topics that has become the center of attention in recent years, as high levels of toxic wastes present in the environment continue to rise and reach alarming limits. Also, tech companies have been targeted by environmental groups and activists and urged to decrease their usage of harmful compounds in their assembly processes.
Apple is not exception to this rule. Recently, green activists have persuaded the tech giant to take action in reducing the numbers of toxic wastes its suppliers are disposing of into the environment.
Linda Greer, head of the health and environment program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), stated:
“They (suppliers) are far from done, but they are definitely in motion.â€
The suppliers in questions are based in China and the NRDC had to team up with the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs in China to take some actions. The suppliers provide Apple with printed circuits boards. These seemingly harmless gadget parts have been proved to be very toxic for the environment releasing toxic metals, solvents and organic pollutants that might prove harmful to living systems.
This campaign started back in 2010. Since then, the tech giant has agreed to let environmental experts assess the impact such waste can have on the environment and recommend ways to solve the problem.
Apple stated in its recent Supplier Responsibility Report, acknowledging their efforts to keep the environment clean:
"At Apple, we take responsibility for minimizing the environmental impact of our operations and products, and our suppliers must take responsibility for their operations as wellâ€.
Source: NBC News
