New Report Says Apple's Battery Suppliers Use Cobalt Mined by Child Labor

[MacRumors]

Child labor is being used in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to mine cobalt, a mineral used in lithium-ion batteries found in devices from Apple, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft and car manufacturers Daimler and Volkswagen, according to a new report by Amnesty International.

Children told Amnesty International they worked for up to 12 hours a day in the mines, carrying heavy loads to earn between one and two dollars a day. In 2014 approximately 40,000 children worked in mines across southern DRC, many of them mining cobalt, according to UNICEF.

The report says that local traders buy cobalt from areas with child labor and sell it to Congo Dongfang Mining, a subsidiary of Chinese mineral company Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Ltd, also known as Huayou Cobalt. Huayou Cobalt then processes and sells the cobalt to three battery component manufacturers -- Toda Hunan Shanshen New Material, Tianjin Bamo Technology and L&F Materal -- who sell to battery makers that claim to supply technology companies like Apple and Samsung.

When Amnesty International contacted the 16 companies listed as customers of those battery makers, one admitted to a connection, four weren't sure, six were investigating the claims and five denied the claim. Cobalt is not a regulated market, according to Amnesty International, and it is not listed as a "conflict" mineral in the United States like the gold, tin and tungsten mined in the DRC.

Apple provided a statement to the BBC, saying that "underage labor is never tolerated in our supply chain and we are proud to have led the industry in pioneering new safeguards." The company also pointed out that it has "rigorous audits" and any supplier found using child labor is forced to fund the worker's safe return home, finance the worker's education, continue to pay the worker's wages and offer him or her a job when he or she reaches the legal age. Apple also said that it is looking into the cobalt charge.

On cobalt specifically it added: "We are currently evaluating dozens of different materials, including cobalt, in order to identify labour and environmental risks as well as opportunities for Apple to bring about effective, scalable and sustainable change."

This isn't the first time one of Apple's suppliers has been found using child labor. In 2013 Apple revealed that it terminated business with one Chinese supplier after finding out that they were using child labor. That same year Apple formed an academic advisory board for its Supplier Responsibility program to assist in creating safe workspaces wherever its products are made.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: New Report Says Apple's Battery Suppliers Use Cobalt Mined by Child Labor

 

[Robert.Walter]

A new item to address in the next sustainability report.

I do wonder, however, why apple isn't just backtracking the raw material chain in its products now.

Yes it is a big expensive task but rather than be blindsided by these topics every two years or so, Apple should just get way the hell out in front of the topic and let the other companies try to catch up.

 

[chabig]

"New Report Says Apple's Battery Suppliers Use Cobalt Mined by Child Labor" just doesn't get the same number of clicks as the honest headline, "New Report Says Battery Suppliers Use Cobalt Mined by Child Labor".

 

[Jax44]

Child Confict Congo Cobalt Concerns Cook.

Amazon shares up 3%

 

[Gasu E.]

This isn't the first time one of Apple's suppliers has been found using child labor.

Huh? There's nothing in the article about an Apple supplier using child labor. AI claims that cobalt is mined in the DRC using child labor. That cobalt is then sold on the world markets. Apple buys batteries from its suppliers, who manufacture them using cobalt bought on these markets. If it's like any other commodity, there could be any number of intermediaries in the chain. Basically any battery using cobalt would likely have a little bit that was mined using child labor.

The article says:

- there are areas with child labor
- cobalt from these areas is bought from the mines by local traders. Note the article never says definitively that children work in the cobalt mines
- local traders sell it to Congo Dongfan Mining/Huayou Cobalt
- Huayou Cobalt sells the process Cobalt to three battery component makers
- the battery component makers turn the cobalt into components and sell to unnamed battery makers
- these battery makers "claim" to sell to Apple, Samsung, car manufacturers, etc.

Not only are there enough hedging words to make the chain less than definitive, but there are FOUR intermediaries between Apple and the possible child labor.

 

[AZhappyjack]

What I find most disingenuous is the fact that Apple always gets these types of headlines... despite the fact that the other manufacturers are also as culpable (or not culpable) as Apple.

In this age low-information, some will read the headline, blame Apple and not bother reading even the first paragraph of the article.

 

[chabig]

New Investigation Finds Reporters from MacRumors and AppleInsider Use Devices Manufactured With Cobalt Mined by Child Labor

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

What I find most disingenuous is the fact that Apple always gets these types of headlines... despite the fact that the other manufacturers are also as culpable (or not culpable) as Apple.

In this age low-information, some will read the headline, blame Apple and not bother reading even the first paragraph of the article.

They'll take it, and in their minds, think "Apple demands that child labor be used by contract in the mining of Cobalt."

 

[TonyC28]

I found this article about myself:
"Illinois man uses iPhone purchased from Apple which uses a battery made by another company who used parts bought from another company who got their cobalt from child labor."

 

[Bubba Satori]

Relax everybody. It's not just Apple. You can keep your iHalos.

 

[iOSFangirl6001]

Huh? There's nothing in the article about an Apple supplier using child labor. AI claims that cobalt is mined in the DRC using child labor. That cobalt is then sold on the world markets. Apple buys batteries from its suppliers, who manufacture them using cobalt bought on these markets. If it's like any other commodity, there could be any number of intermediaries in the chain. Basically any battery using cobalt would likely have a little bit that was mined using child labor.

The article says:

- there are areas with child labor
- cobalt from these areas is bought from the mines by local traders. Note the article never says definitively that children work in the cobalt mines
- local traders sell it to Congo Dongfan Mining/Huayou Cobalt
- Huayou Cobalt sells the process Cobalt to three battery component makers
- the battery component makers turn the cobalt into components and sell to unnamed battery makers
- these battery makers "claim" to sell to Apple, Samsung, car manufacturers, etc.

Not only are there enough hedging words to make the chain less than definitive, but there are FOUR intermediaries between Apple and the possible child labor.

What I find most disingenuous is the fact that Apple always gets these types of headlines... despite the fact that the other manufacturers are also as culpable (or not culpable) as Apple.

In this age low-information, some will read the headline, blame Apple and not bother reading even the first paragraph of the article.

Perhaps a bit conspiritish on my part but going to go with similar past notions here that someone is likely trying to paint Apple in a bad light again

**hides** SorryNotSorry

New Investigation Finds Reporters from MacRumors and AppleInsider Use Devices Manufactured With Cobalt Mined by Child Labor

LOL Touché well played.

 

[autrefois]

any supplier found using child labor is forced to fund the worker's safe return home, finance the worker's education, continue to pay the worker's wages and offer him or her a job when he or she reaches the legal age.

Not sure what I think of this. A supplier is found exploiting children, and they get to buy their way out of it? Plus when they're older the kids might end up working at the very company that exploited them?

I'm not saying I know what the right solution is, but this doesn't seem like it.

 

[inhalexhale1]

What I find most disingenuous is the fact that Apple always gets these types of headlines... despite the fact that the other manufacturers are also as culpable (or not culpable) as Apple.

In this age low-information, some will read the headline, blame Apple and not bother reading even the first paragraph of the article.

I think Apple (Cook), brings the bullseye on itself with all the self righteous boasting on equality, fairness, the environment, etc. Are they alone in their indirect use of child labor? Or countries that could care less about the environment? Nope. But when they champion themselves as the moral standard, then of course the finger points on them first. And rightly so.

 

[furi0usbee]

I can't blame Apple for stuff like this. They can't control other companies/countries. Problem is that most parts of the world are not civilized, as we understand that term to be. If we really knew the extent of this type of thing around the world, I'm sure we wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

VW can't catch a break ..... GOOD, they deserve it.
[doublepost=1453179006][/doublepost]

Relax everybody. It's not just Apple. You can keep your iHalos.

But Apple's an American company .....That's so not like the USA.

 

[H2SO4]

What I find most disingenuous is the fact that Apple always gets these types of headlines... despite the fact that the other manufacturers are also as culpable (or not culpable) as Apple.

In this age low-information, some will read the headline, blame Apple and not bother reading even the first paragraph of the article.

Yep, cos on an Apple website we should see, ’New report says BMW use ……….’. In this age of information everywhere we can all do our own research maybe? There are others and they are/have been/will be, documented. Do you frequent a Samsung forum? No, then you might just miss any similar headlines that they have.
Of course other manufacturers are involved. Shall we list them all, if so you’ll need Apples retina display to fit all the text on?

 

[rdlink]

Yep, cos on an Apple website we should see, ’New report says BMW use ……….’. In this age of information everywhere we can all do our own research maybe? There are others and they are/have been/will be, documented. Do you frequent a Samsung forum? No, then you might just miss any similar headlines that they have.
Of course other manufacturers are involved. Shall we list them all, if so you’ll need Apples retina display to fit all the text on?

Or you can take the more reasonable approach that this article should have never been on Macrumors. Because it's not a story about Apple per se, but about an industry that potentially uses child labor, that also happens to supply a commodity that is used in batteries that go into the products sold by numerous companies.

 

[H2SO4]

Or you can take the more reasonable approach that this article should have never been on Macrumors. Because it's not a story about Apple per se, but about an industry that potentially uses child labor, that also happens to supply a commodity that is used in batteries that go into the products sold by numerous companies.

Then I hope you were consistent in applying that same comment to all other such posts. But oh wait, you aren’t. Apple are massive players in this industry and that is why the story is here.

 

[rdlink]

Then I hope you were consistent in applying that same comment to all other such posts. But oh wait, you aren’t. Apple are massive players in this industry and that is why the story is here.

BS. The story is here because it's click bait. You know it and your disingenuous, or you don't know it and you're ignorant.

 

[SoAnyway]

Why isn't this on the front page of MacRumors?

 

[robotica]

Buy a cobalt mine then you can be 100% sure where the cobalt/other materials come from... Sounds like something the richest company in the world could do.

 

[gijoeinla]

I think Apple (Cook), brings the bullseye on itself with all the self righteous boasting on equality, fairness, the environment, etc. Are they alone in their indirect use of child labor? Or countries that could care less about the environment? Nope. But when they champion themselves as the moral standard, then of course the finger points on them first. And rightly so.

Betting this was the "angle" heard on Fox News no doubt.

Cobalt mining equates to "self righteous boasting on equality, fairness, the environment, etc".

Omg. O K. If you say so.

It's all "Cooks" fault. He's brought this evil upon Apple!

Funny tho.. maybe your too young to remember but people were jumping out the windows at Foxconn during Steve Jobs era... Was that Cooks fault too? Payback for his "self righteousness"??

Seriously.

 

[Eraserhead]

I can't blame Apple for stuff like this. They can't control other companies/countries. Problem is that most parts of the world are not civilized, as we understand that term to be. If we really knew the extent of this type of thing around the world, I'm sure we wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

Actually apple can stop it. That's why they do the sustainability reports.

And most of the world is civilised these days. Congo is very much the exception.

 

[realeric]

While American concern labor condition in China or child labor in Africa, Chinese purchased GE appliance, IBM PC, ...

 

[Eraserhead]

While American concern labor condition in China, Chinese purchased GE appliance, IBM PC, ...

China doesn't generally use child labour. Chinese children are in school.