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Apple Confirms Suppliers Do Not Use Unethically Sourced Tantalum

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Apple today published its 2014 Supplier Responsibility Report, releasing the results of its supplier audit program for 2013 and confirming that its partners only use ethically sourced tantalum, which is a primary metal used in electronic components that can be also be mined from war-torn regions in Africa.

apple_supplier_2014-800x361.jpg
In January 2014, we confirmed that all active, identified tantalum smelters in Apple's supply chain were validated as conflict-free by third-party auditors, and we will continue to require all suppliers to use only verified tantalum sources. We know supply chains fluctuate, and we'll maintain ongoing monitoring of our suppliers' smelters.
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Apple's senior vice president of operations Jeff Williams, also spoke to The Wall Street Journal on the matter:
In the company's 2014 Supplier Responsibility report published on Wednesday, Apple identified that its suppliers use 20 global smelters or refiners whose tantalum has been verified by third-party auditors as what the industry calls "conflict-free." Jeff Williams, Apple's senior vice president of operations, said the company has had success in pressuring tantalum smelters to agree to a third-party audit because Apple and other consumer electronics firms are the biggest users of the metal.
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The gathering of tantalum, along with other minerals such as gold and tungsten, has become a controversial subject in the tech industry due to their sourcing at mines blamed for funding conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Apple added in its report that it will continue to support conflict-free supply lines and economic development in the region instead of abandoning the questionable minerals.

Apple's report also noted a number of other achievements for 2013, including driving suppliers to achieve a 95% compliance rate with the company's standard maximum 60-hour workweek, requiring suppliers to reimburse $3.9 million in excess foreign contract worker fees, and tracking the weekly work hours for over 1 million supply chain workers.

In its Supplier Responsibility Report for 2012 published last year, Apple revealed that it had dropped one of its suppliers in China after finding evidence of 74 underage workers at one facility.

Article Link: Apple Confirms Suppliers Do Not Use Unethically Sourced Tantalum
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/02/13/suppliers-do-not-use-conflict-mineral/
AngerDanger

AngerDanger

Graphics
Staff member
Dec 9, 2008
5,452
29,002
Ah, yes, one can deduce just about anything by holding something while wearing a surgical mask and gloves. :p
 
S

SoAnyway

macrumors 6502
May 10, 2011
477
183
Is Tantalum what the humans will be trying to take from Pandora in Avatar 2?

It does sound tantalizing...
 
S

Snowshiro

macrumors 6502
Jan 12, 2008
387
6
its partners do not use tantalum, a primary metal used in electronic components mined from war-torn regions in Africa.
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Both the above [Edit: removed one - the admin changed it in the article] sentences as written suggest that Apple does not use this metal at all. Whereas, Apple's own statement suggests that they use it, but only from reputable suppliers.

Apple identified that its suppliers use 20 global smelters or refiners whose tantalum has been verified
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Last edited:
Carlanga

Carlanga

macrumors 604
Nov 5, 2009
7,132
1,409
hrishidev said:
Learnt about new element today.
:D
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It's #73 and next to famous Tungsten which I think is the reason must people that learnt the table before the conflict began don't remember it.

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Snowshiro said:
Both these sentences as written suggest that Apple does not use this metal at all. Whereas, Apple's own statement suggests that they use it, but only from reputable suppliers.
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They meant Conflict mined tantalum. The way they wrote it is similar to people saying they don't buy conflict diamonds or conflict mineral diamond
 
T

thasan

macrumors 65816
Oct 19, 2007
1,104
1,031
Germany
Snowshiro said:
Both these sentences as written suggest that Apple does not use this metal at all. Whereas, Apple's own statement suggests that they use it, but only from reputable suppliers.
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mm.... in the first, u missed the word, 'conflict'. in the second, u missed the 'war torn africa...'
;)
 
D

diazj3

macrumors 6502a
Jan 19, 2008
879
135
Right... or so they say. The devil is always in the details. They say the same thing about working conditions, and yet it's debatable.

And of course, cassiterite, gold, wolframite, tungsten... are another story.

According to international NGOs that handle the matter, no electronics manufacturer has their hands clean on this. Specially when it comes to mobile phones.
 
N

Negritude

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2011
297
199
The most important question:

Do regular Africans get any benefit from the mining of the innumerable minerals that the world depends on for various electronics?

The whole question of "conflict" diamonds or "conflict" tantalum or "conflict" this or "conflict" that is pretty irrelevant, considering the entire sub-saharan region has been getting raped of it's resources for centuries.

Where is the freaking social responsibility to make sure that a continent as rich in minerals as Africa, actually benefits in some tangible way from what is mostly western corporations taking stuff?
 
G

ghettochris

macrumors 6502a
Feb 19, 2008
773
0
A Hebrew said:
I really don't care where the tantalum for my Macbook comes from.
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This is me not insulting you for stupidity or ignorance. :cool:

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Negritude said:
The most important question:

Do regular Africans get any benefit from the mining of the innumerable minerals that the world depends on for various electronics?

The whole question of "conflict" diamonds or "conflict" tantalum or "conflict" this or "conflict" that is pretty irrelevant, considering the entire sub-saharan region has been getting raped of it's resources for centuries.

Where is the freaking social responsibility to make sure that a continent as rich in minerals as Africa, actually benefits in some tangible way from what is mostly western corporations taking stuff?
Click to expand...

I suggest reading the [disappearing spoon](http://www.amazon.com/The-Disappearing-Spoon-Periodic-Elements/dp/0316051632) lots of info on the histories on wars of all the different elements.
 
Robert.Walter

Robert.Walter

macrumors 68040
Jul 10, 2012
3,085
4,331
If like me you opened this article on an iPhone and were not looking directly at the pic, you may be forgiven for thing it is a pic if Kermit the Frog holding a MacBook.
 
T

Thunderhawks

Suspended
Feb 17, 2009
4,057
2,118
Negritude said:
The most important question:

Do regular Africans get any benefit from the mining of the innumerable minerals that the world depends on for various electronics?

The whole question of "conflict" diamonds or "conflict" tantalum or "conflict" this or "conflict" that is pretty irrelevant, considering the entire sub-saharan region has been getting raped of it's resources for centuries.

Where is the freaking social responsibility to make sure that a continent as rich in minerals as Africa, actually benefits in some tangible way from what is mostly western corporations taking stuff?
Click to expand...

No need to throw a tantalum!
 
Boston007

Boston007

macrumors 6502
Apr 9, 2010
458
145
Robert.Walter said:
If like me you opened this article on an iPhone and were not looking directly at the pic, you may be forgiven for thing it is a pic if Kermit the Frog holding a MacBook.
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That's a shame.
As I held the article open on my Galaxy S4 I was easily able to see the technician holding the larger iPad.

Maybe if Apple released a bigger phone you could see it more clearly LOL :)
 
xDKP

xDKP

macrumors 68020
Feb 27, 2011
2,273
2,304
Denmark
Boston007 said:
That's a shame.
As I held the article open on my Galaxy S4 I was easily able to see the technician holding the larger iPad.

Maybe if Apple released a bigger phone you could see it more clearly LOL :)
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Not even remotely funny... :rolleyes:
 
P

paulrbeers

macrumors 68040
Dec 17, 2009
3,963
123
Is it me or was the title of the article here at Macrumors terrible? Why would you basically use a double negative to say "Do Not" and then "Unethically"....

Why wouldn't we just say "Apple confirms Suppliers use Ethically Sourced Tantalum"?
 
M

Mullerman

macrumors member
Dec 18, 2008
30
0
Hmmmm

A device that you could prolong its life easier with would help.... like having the ability to put a battery in it. Docking cables that last more than a week and don't have chips in them for the landfill. Everything bonded with glue making it very difficult for after market repairs. Having large supplier chain in less environmentally regulated regimes is passing the buck. When Apple introduce a truly modular designs, then we can tick some green boxes.
 
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