Apple iPad casing supplier under fire over alleged water pollution

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Chinese locals call it the "milky river," due to its milky white color. It kills fish, its water is unsuitable for crop irrigation, and it's allegedly the fault of a company that manufactures cases for Apple's iPad.

iPads
Riteng, which supplies Apple with iPad casings, has come under fire for its environmental policies.


The Financial Times carried a report on Friday that Riteng ? a subsidiary of Casetek ? is now under investigation by the Songjiang district government over environmental regulations. Residents living near the Railway River tributary where Riteng's factories operate say that the river has turned milky white almost weekly since the newest factory opened two years ago. Discharges from the factory, they say, have killed off fish and shellfish and have left the water unusable for crop watering.

Casetek, Riteng's parent company, says that the discharge was the result of workers cleaning the factory during the lunar new year holiday. The workers, Casetek claims, improperly disposed of the water they had used.

"It's just Chinese new year annual cleaning," a Casetek representative told The Financial Times. "We will cooperate with the government, and the pollution is nothing to do with the production line of our factory."

Environmental regulators, though, say the pollutants in the milky river came from water used in the plant's cutting and polishing process, not from cleaning the factory. Reportedly, regulators have discovered other violations at the factory.

Apple, according to Casetek, is the main buyer of products produced by the factory, which also supplies Hewlett-Packard and Asus. Apple has confirmed that Riteng produces iPad back panels.

The "milky river" incident typifies the complexities inherent in managing a global supply chain as large as Apple's. The California-based company relies on low-cost labor and suppliers based largely in southeast Asia, many times in countries with different environmental standards from Apple's own.

Apple has opened up to allow third-party environmental audits of not only itself but also its supply chain. It is unclear, though, whether Riteng or Casetek have been audited.

"Significant threats to the environment" counts as one of Apple's "core violations," the most serious breaches of the company's supplier agreements. According to Apple's Supplier Responsibility 2012 Progress Report, core violations "must be remedied immediately, sometimes with the help of expert consultants." The company says that suppliers that have had core violations are reaudited every year.

The Cupertino company has, according to some accounts, considerably improved its environmental accountability. Under CEO Tim Cook, the company is said to have been more open to working with environmental groups in order to address pollution concerns, as well as to sanction suppliers who are skirting environmental regulations.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 49
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member


    Every industrialized nation has had the same issue at some point in their history. Eventually China will get their act together just like the western counties did. The US had a couple hundred year head start in industrialization but in the early days they polluted lots of rivers and occasionally still do accidentally.

  • Reply 2 of 49
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member


    I don't really care about the pollution, it's not my problem, and maybe some environmentalist types can go and protest or something, since they have nothing better to do with their time.


     


    What interests me is that I'm wondering if this is the same casing supplier that those recent leaked photos came from, the photos of the iPad Mini with the blue Apple logo? I've always been saying that security needs to be tighter at all Apple suppliers and anybody caught leaking anything should be severely punished and obviously lose their jobs. Factory workers should not be allowed to bring any phones or cameras inside. They are there to work, not to take pictures and engage in espionage.

  • Reply 3 of 49
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    I don't really care about the pollution, it's not my problem



    No one can ever accuse you of taking inconsistent positions. You stay true. . .image

  • Reply 4 of 49
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    "Apple wrote:
    [" url="/t/156120/apple-ipad-casing-supplier-under-fire-over-alleged-water-pollution#post_2282443"]I don't really care about the pollution, it's not my problem
    Epitaph for humanity
  • Reply 5 of 49
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member


    Does the Chinese government truly not care about their own environment?  Is the almighty yen (or dollar) that much more important than the health of their inhabitants.  Do they simply turn a blind eye to what's right in front of them and only act (if they do) when the media catches on?



    This is not an Apple issue.  I'll bet other manufacturers for other brands have the exact (if not worse) problem with waste.



    I mean come on!  We had our problems in the US back in the early ages, but even if China is catching up it's not like they started from caves.  Heck, they had us to use as a template of how to do things.  Do they care that little about themselves?

  • Reply 6 of 49


    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post


    Heck, they had us to use as a template of how to do things.





    They're doing exactly what we did a century ago. What's so confusing? There's still a river in Chicago that is unlivable.

  • Reply 7 of 49
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post


    Does the Chinese government truly not care about their own environment?  



    I'm sure that you realize what type of governmental system that they have in place. And that's part of the reason why I really don't care. The problem is not the pollution, IMO, you have to solve the core problem.

  • Reply 8 of 49
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    sflocal wrote: »
    Does the Chinese government truly not care about their own environment?  Is the almighty yen (or dollar) that much more important than the health of their inhabitants.  Do they simply turn a blind eye to what's right in front of them and only act (if they do) when the media catches on?


    This is not an Apple issue.  I'll bet other manufacturers for other brands have the exact (if not worse) problem with waste.


    I mean come on!  We had our problems in the US back in the early ages, but even if China is catching up it's not like they started from caves.  Heck, they had us to use as a template of how to do things.  Do they care that little about themselves?

    Hilarious satire :lol:
  • Reply 9 of 49


    A Chinese company that makes cases for several major US companies is alleged to have polluted and the Financial Times headline reads: Apple, Apple, Apple!


     


    God, these sensationalist rags with an agenda suck. 

  • Reply 10 of 49
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    anybody caught leaking anything should be severely punished



     


    Couldn't agree more.


     


     


    Oh wait, you're applying this to minor transgressions by labourers scraping by on a minimal wage, while letting environmentally reckless corporations completely off the hook as "not my problem" ?


     


    Figures.

  • Reply 11 of 49
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post


    Does the Chinese government truly not care about their own environment?  Is the almighty yen (or dollar) that much more important than the health of their inhabitants.  Do they simply turn a blind eye to what's right in front of them and only act (if they do) when the media catches on?



     


    The media have caught on to the story that the Chinese regulators are investigating it.  Where are you extrapolating money worship and media pandering from? 

  • Reply 12 of 49
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by JollyPaul View Post


    A Chinese company that makes cases for several major US companies is alleged to have polluted and the Financial Times headline reads: Apple, Apple, Apple!


     


    God, these sensationalist rags with an agenda suck. 



     


    Sensationalist rag?  Do you have any idea what the Financial Times is?  It's more or less capitalism enshrined in print.  Good paper, but if you think its agenda is anti-business or anti-Apple then you're well shy of the mark.

  • Reply 13 of 49
    You would think that developing nations would have learned from the environmental disasters of the Western world. Learn from history, don't repeat it. This has nothing to do with Apple other than they are one of this company's customers.
  • Reply 14 of 49
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    I don't really care about the pollution, it's not my problem


     


    [...]


     


    I've always been saying that security needs to be tighter at all Apple suppliers and anybody caught leaking anything should be severely punished and obviously lose their jobs. 



    In this case they were leaking a milky liquid.


     


    You say it is not your problem but really you mean you don't care about pollution until it actually affects your life. Then you'll care. Pollution does not stay localized to where it originates. For example in the 70s-80s the smoke stack industries of the midwest were causing acid rain in the northeast killing trees in Vermont and damaging copper fixtures and marble edifices in NYC.

  • Reply 15 of 49
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Crowley View Post


     


    Couldn't agree more.


     


     


    Oh wait, you're applying this to minor transgressions by labourers scraping by on a minimal wage, while letting environmentally reckless corporations completely off the hook as "not my problem" ?


     


    Figures.



     


    And I'm sure that the communist government will thoroughly investigate and get to the bottom of this. It's their problem to fix, not mine.


     


    It's not like I'm going to go to China and stand in front of a tank.

  • Reply 16 of 49
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Pollution does not stay localized to where it originates. 



    I don't disagree with that. 

  • Reply 17 of 49
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


     


    And I'm sure that the communist government will thoroughly investigate and get to the bottom of this. It's their problem to fix, not mine.


     


    It's not like I'm going to go to China and stand in front of a tank.



     


    That's fine.  A bit odious to say you don't care at all, but your prerogative.  But why then are you getting riled - "I've always said" "severely punished" etc - about leaked photographs?  They don't affect you, and I highly doubt you're going to investigate those personally either.  Is it not down to the Chinese government (not particularly communist any more) to police that, as "espionage", without any comment from you?


     


    Seems like an odd double standard, and an ethically absurd one.

  • Reply 18 of 49
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Crowley View Post


     


    That's fine.  A bit odious to say you don't care at all, but your prerogative.  But why then are you getting riled - "I've always said" "severely punished" etc - about leaked photographs?  They don't affect you, and I highly doubt you're going to investigate those personally either.


     


    Seems like an odd double standard, and an ethically absurd one.



     


    As a sometimes Apple shareholder, I would have to say that Apple leaks do affect me, and I've always been strongly against any leaks, as I feel that they are happening a bit too often.

  • Reply 19 of 49

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    I don't really care about the pollution, it's not my problem, and maybe some environmentalist types can go and protest or something, since they have nothing better to do with their time.


     


    What interests me is that I'm wondering if this is the same casing supplier that those recent leaked photos came from, the photos of the iPad Mini with the blue Apple logo? I've always been saying that security needs to be tighter at all Apple suppliers and anybody caught leaking anything should be severely punished and obviously lose their jobs. Factory workers should not be allowed to bring any phones or cameras inside. They are there to work, not to take pictures and engage in espionage.



     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    No one can ever accuse you of taking inconsistent positions. You stay true. . .image



    That's the position to take....and I paraphrase...."Who cares if I live in a toxic world as long as we can flog and execute those responsible for leaking Apple device pictures".


     


    Holy crap. image

  • Reply 20 of 49
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


     


    As a sometimes Apple shareholder, I would have to say that Apple leaks do affect me, and I've always been strongly against any leaks, as I feel that they are happening a bit too often.



    How do those leaks affect you as an Apple shareholder any more than the bad publicity from being involved with a polluter?


     


    "Oh no, some third parties will be able to have cases on the shelves for day one!"


     


    Who gives a crap?  Totally twisted priorities you have.


     


     


    NB.  Also an Apple shareholder (long time).  Leaks don't seem to have hurt the value of my shares.

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