Sustainability Practices

Apple uses LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) to design its products in a more responsible and environmentally friendly way and to report its findings in its annual Product Environmental Report. To create more responsible and sustainable products the company’s product design team has manufactured products that are created with recycled materials like the iPhone 13 which uses 100% recycled gold. That change was mostly driven by the fact that in 2020 Apple was linked to Congolese suppliers that used child labor to source gold and cobalt. Nowadays Apple uses blockchain technology to assure that the gathering of its gold is 100% sustainable. Although the company is becoming more and more efficient in designing greener products, the truth is that Apple has still to implement a circular economy strategy. For example, Apple created new products every year although it is environmentally irresponsible. This business model is still used by Apple because it generates a large sum of profits for the company; hence, Apple does not create durable or upgradable products in order to increase consumerism. Furthermore, the company, which does not present itself as a lean company, has implemented certain approaches to become more sustainable while providing the same product quality. For example, they have been able to reduce their iPhone 13 carbon footprint by 6% through its Supplier Clean Energy Program which assists suppliers in the efficient use of renewable energy. Programs like these have helped Apple to implement a more sustainable and green supply chain. Moreover, after some viral videos began circulating on the internet showing the inhumane treatment of Chinese employees by Apple’s suppliers the company has also begun to create suppliers’ programs that respect human rights and aim to improve the rights of workers in the country.