Why Has Apple Kept Silent about Heavy Metal Pollution?

In stark contrast with a high-profile announcement were questions about Apple’s long silence concerning heavy metals produced in its supply chain. It has been 50 days since 34 Chinese environmental organizations, including the Friends of Nature and the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, sent a letter to Mr. Jobs raising questions about heavy metals and Apple products.

The iPhone4 was released in America, but it is produced in China. As the global production center of IT products, China has paid a heavy ecological and environmental price, especially in terms of pollution caused by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and batteries. In order to encourage this rapidly developing industry to effect change and become more green, these 34 environmental organizations started an investigation to find the suppliers of some of the IT brands who have the most serious pollution problems. After the investigation, the environmental groups communicated with 29 multinational companies, including Apple, which were found to have polluting suppliers.

Thanks to the wild popularity of the iPhone and other Apple products, Apple’s sales have gone through the roof, causing Apple to become the most valuable IT company on the world market in one giant leap. In considering Apple’s silence about heavy metal pollution, everyone can’t help but be suspicious. Is Apple purposefully trying to withdraw from managing its supply chain, and is it doing so in order to control manufacturing costs and maintain a competitive price advantage?

Of course, as consumers, we want to get a good bargain; however, if, in the course of production, these products exceed emissions limits and cause heavy metal pollution, this will lead to lasting damage to the environment and public health. Today, we can enjoy this “bargain” IT product. Tomorrow, our generation and our children will have to pay ten million times that price in order to clean these heavy metals out of our lakes, rivers, earth, seas, and bodies. When that time comes, will Apple and the other IT companies pay the bill, just like BP is paying today?

If we do not agree with this kind of future, then as consumers we can peacefully, rationally, and firmly make high demands of Apple, forcing it to control its heavy metals and emissions pollution.

Apple has a responsibility to respond to consumers’ expectations and demands because it has always made high profile promises concerning its green business practices. Therefore, when you buy its products, you have also bought a promise. Furthermore, Apple, which is almost completely dependent on outsourcing its production, still has an obligation to control its emissions. If Apple ignores the fact that its suppliers are violating emissions limits, then it has not kept its promise. In that case, consumers have the right to demand that Apple make it right.

There are already successful cases of brand name companies encouraging their suppliers to eliminate pollution. On a basic level, China has made progress in terms of publicizing environmental information. The pollution maps and databases have recorded 60,000 cases of companies that have violated emissions standards all over China. This has made it easy for brand name companies to compare their lists of suppliers with the list of companies that have violated regulations published by governmental departments. Recently, many large companies, including GE, Nike, Walmart, Esquel, Unilever, and Mitsui, have started to use this database to improve environmental management in their supply chains. As a result of regular investigations of these large scale companies, over 100 regulation-violating suppliers have felt pressure from their clients. These suppliers have publicized their problems and rectified the situation.

Research has shown that it is possible for the IT industry to solve its heavy metals problem. As of today, 29 IT brands, including Samsung, HP, Panasonic, and Toshiba, have already started to use public records to manage and monitor their supply chains. But Apple is still waiting and watching. Maybe it is waiting for a signal from consumers, who need to clearly and firmly express their demands. Let the companies hear your voice. Speak up for our environment, for public health, and for a guarantee that our children will be able to live in a safe and habitable land.