Apple Suppliers Struggling to Meet Environmental Goals

In the short term they could hire 100,000 people to run electricity-generating stationary bikes. This would be green energy if riders are fed smoothies to maintain energy.
 
repoman016 said:
Maybe they should take some of the crap out of their fancy boxes that people dont use, like all the inserts and fancy cut outs. Maybe put a cord back in there that people would actually use instead of forcing them to buy more packaging for a cable that should have already been in the box
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Yeah, it's funny how they remove items we need in an attempt to make the boxes marginally smaller...only to have to put those things into another box. I'd applaud them (one handed clap only) for wanting to reduce the massive global carbon footprint they are reponisible for creating, if they weren't doing it at our expense.
 
A typical iPhone has about 80kg of embedded carbon, a typical saloon car has about 17,000 Kg.

I admire what Apple is doing but the real problem is elsewhere.
 
Such hypocrisy and virtue signaling on Apple’s part. I get it though… it got some people/ orgs/ media off their back. Climate change is a very complex issue that has been politicized to death, and companies/individuals should just do their part instead of pointing fingers at everyone else.
 
repoman016 said:
Maybe they should take some of the crap out of their fancy boxes that people dont use, like all the inserts and fancy cut outs. Maybe put a cord back in there that people would actually use instead of forcing them to buy more packaging for a cable that should have already been in the box
Click to expand...
I agree, the problem is on all the regulations. some countries require you to put down all the product details and compliance test results on the inserts. it's consumer law.
 
They could if they really wanted to.

I remember reading an article about a plastics company. The CEO was dismissing the need to recycle the type of plastic they make. 'We are in the business of MAKING plastic, not reusing someone else's plastic'. Yeah, tragic misguided, and horrifically so. Yikes...
 
repoman016 said:
Maybe they should take some of the crap out of their fancy boxes that people dont use, like all the inserts and fancy cut outs. Maybe put a cord back in there that people would actually use instead of forcing them to buy more packaging for a cable that should have already been in the box
Click to expand...

I know people that have never used the cord. I'd imagine that many of them were tossed, either in the trash, or in a box or drawer, and never used. It's hard to believe that Apple would charge so much for a power cord, but it's the way it is. TANSTAAFL.

It's the cost of the cable. the increase in the box size, the increase in weight, etc... I get it, but I always used the cable. *shrug*

The plastic wrap on their stuff is a little galling. It's the 'unboxing experience', but it used to leave so much trash. They have gotten better though...
 
This will be interesting to watch as many of these factories are in undeveloped nations where green energy is scarce and at its infancy.

Going green certainly does seem to come at a cost these days!
 
businessnumbersmoneypeopl said:
Google "PQ earbuds" and you'll find them. Haven't tried out myself and I'm pretty sure there are many issues and caveats with that design, but Apple is pretty good in solving such problems when they really decide to do so.
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Screenshot 2022-01-18 at 19.28.56.png



Indeed, I have my doubts if they are like the text in the image above.
 
desslr said:
This will be interesting to watch as many of these factories are in undeveloped nations where green energy is scarce and at its infancy.
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Speaking of TSMC specifically, the majority of their facilities are located in Taiwan with a few in mainland China and one in the USA. None in “undeveloped” countries!

Taiwan, sadly, has one of the most coal-dependent power grids in the world. (Amongst advanced economies, only Australia is worse).

Taiwan will add over 5 GW of offshore wind and 14GW of solar by 2025, but renewables will still only account for about 20% of electricity generation, up from around 5% today. (They plan to add another 15GW of offshore wind between 2026-2035)
 
I could care less about this. I don’t want the prices of my products to go up because companies have to use inefficient energy sources that can’t keep up with demand. I care about performance and price.

If you look behind the curtain or take the red pill you’ll see these green energy sources use a lot of regular energy in the manufacturing of the wind turbines or solar panels or mining or lithium. More than the renewables will produce. The turbines can’t be recycled either. There’s really nothing green about it.
 
remington79 said:
I could care less about this. I don’t want the prices of my products to go up because companies have to use inefficient energy sources that can’t keep up with demand. I care about performance and price.

If you look behind the curtain or take the red pill you’ll see these green energy sources use a lot of regular energy in the manufacturing of the wind turbines or solar panels or mining or lithium. More than the renewables will produce. The turbines can’t be recycled either. There’s really nothing green about it.
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While you are certainly correct about the costs of various alternative energy sources, you also did a fine job of defining why we have a problem in the first place. Performance and price are all that matter in life. ?
 
thespacekid said:
Even if it's unrealistic and unattainable?
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"TSMC supplies all of Apple's custom silicon chips for the Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The company is said to be concerned about the high cost of achieving net-zero carbon emissions and is finding it difficult to purchase enough green energy. Despite this, TSMC now sees its green credentials as key to its ability to stay competitive in the years ahead, with the tangential benefit of improving efficiency.

Just as Apple is compelling its suppliers to save energy and reduce carbon emissions, TSMC is putting the same pressure on its own supply chain. Several hundred factories in Taiwan singularly depend on TSMC for orders and the chip manufacturer has urged its suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint by using energy from renewable sources."


Pressure is good. It appears Apple has got the ball rolling. It's up to TSMC and its suppliers to follow through to continue earning Apple's business.

It remains to be seen on how realistic the goals are. No doubt Apple will periodically assess progress as time goes on.

Hat tip to Apple and TC.
 
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