Apple's Chinese suppliers again under fire as activists level water pollution allegations

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Chinese environmental activists have accused two factories known to produce parts for Apple products of dumping hazardous manufacturing waste into canals in Kunshan, an industrial city in China's Jiangsu province near Shanghai.

Foxconn


The factories, owned by Taiwan-based companies Foxconn Technology Group and UniMicron Technology Corp., are alleged to have dumped significant quantities of heavy metals into canals that flow into tributaries of the Yangtze and Huangpu rivers, reports The Wall Street Journal. These rivers are vital sources of water for the city of Shanghai and its nearly 24 million residents.

Foxconn - Apple's largest manufacturing partner with more than one million workers throughout China - responded to the accusations with a statement saying the company's plants comply with all relevant regulations. The firm also pointed out that it is not the only OEM discharging wastewater into the rivers.

UniMicron put out a similar statement, saying that it conducts regular inspections of discharged wastewater, has heeded the calls of local officials to install monitoring devices, and contracts a third-party environmental auditing firm.

In response to the allegations, Apple said it has been working in concert with suppliers and environmental groups to assure compliance with Apple's Supplier Responsibility standards. Apple began reporting on its suppliers' labor conditions and environmental practices in 2007.

For their part, representatives of China's Ministry of Environmental Protection pledged that the government agency would not hesitate to hand down sanctions after a lengthy investigation.

"If you're severely exceeding emissions standards, then we will punish you," said Ding Yudong, a vice director at China's environmental regulator.

This is the second time in as many weeks that an Apple supplier has been accused of environmental regulations related breaches by watchdog groups. At the end of July, iPhone and iPad manufacturer Pegatron was taken to task by China Labor Watch for allegedly dumping chemicals directly into the city of Suzhou's sewer system.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member


    Because Apple is their only customer.  /s

  • Reply 2 of 14
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    WTF? So go after the CHINESE companies doing this! What the heck does this have to do with Apple??? Don't these same companies make stuff for just about every other electronics firms?
  • Reply 3 of 14
    Yet more attacks directed specifically at Apple on specious grounds. Sounds to me like Apple isn't willing to pay off the right people. "Nice bizness ya got there. Be a shame if sumptin' were ta happen to it."
  • Reply 4 of 14
    joshajosha Posts: 901member


    Apple  always gets mentioned in these Foxconn situations because Apple is so high profile.


    For example Dell or even Microsoft would not  bring so much attention.


     


    Anyway this is why I don't knowingly eat any food from China.


    Avoiding China food is becoming much more  difficult, as they play games with labeling and process our raw foods (like Alaskan salmon), then ship them back under a label of  a company here.

  • Reply 5 of 14
    Ah, there they go again. Short-sellers are ticked off that the stock has been doing well recently.

    To the 'Chinese environmental activists': How much worse do you think your environment would be if the customers of the likes of these suppliers were Chinese companies, not Apple? At least Apple will make sure that the problem -- if there is one -- will be corrected.
  • Reply 6 of 14
    buzzzbuzzz Posts: 84member
    I would like all these activists go after clothing retailers for using manufacturers who conduct business under dangerous even deadly circumstances.
    http://qz.com/101965/after-1100-garment-factory-deaths-bangladeshi-clothing-exports-went-up/
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16639391
  • Reply 7 of 14

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    Chinese environmental activists have accused two factories known to produce parts for Apple products of dumping hazardous manufacturing waste into canals in Kunshan, an industrial city in China's Jiangsu province near Shanghai.


     


    Now, I need to know, "Did they test the water before or after they cleared away the log jam of dead diseased pigs."

  • Reply 8 of 14
    mechanicmechanic Posts: 805member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Because Apple is their only customer.  /s



    I agree what the hell is up with these stupid articles.  They single apple out but don't mention that foxconn and pegatron and a myriad of other companies assemble products for companies  like lg, sony, microsoft, htc, and just about every other android and computer maker on the planet.  But we can't get the click whore bait out there if there is not an "Apple" mention in the article.

  • Reply 9 of 14
    kyle172kyle172 Posts: 64member
    Having a little experience in trade. I can tell you that this is not just Apple but other factories in China pollute on a daily basis all over China. The Chinese government just does not enforce environmental regulations nearly as the US does.
  • Reply 10 of 14
    I am shocked, shocked, to find that there is pollution going on in China.
  • Reply 11 of 14
    froodfrood Posts: 771member


    Apple needs to hurry up and fix China!


     


    ermmm....


    No, China needs to fix China.

  • Reply 12 of 14
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member
    I got sick and tired at these people.........

    No, not those activists for using Apple as headline, since that is they only way to ever get these to headline.

    No, not the reporter ( actually may be slightly ), most of them are responsible and dont put much blame on Apple.

    But the idiots who believe it was Apple faults that people were dead in a differently company who made things for Apple AND others, it was Apple faults that water pollution make by a different company. And they solely blame it on Apple.

    One day a Gun Crime happen in US and they will blame it on Apple because that person happen to use an iPhone.

    Seriously, what has happen to the world of education that we are generating huge amount of idiots is totally beyond me.
  • Reply 13 of 14

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ksec View Post



    I got sick and tired at these people.........



    No, not those activists for using Apple as headline, since that is they only way to ever get these to headline.



    No, not the reporter ( actually may be slightly ), most of them are responsible and dont put much blame on Apple.



    But the idiots who believe it was Apple faults that people were dead in a differently company who made things for Apple AND others, it was Apple faults that water pollution make by a different company. And they solely blame it on Apple.



    One day a Gun Crime happen in US and they will blame it on Apple because that person happen to use an iPhone.



    Seriously, what has happen to the world of education that we are generating huge amount of idiots is totally beyond me.


    Are they idiots?


     


    It seems to me that they are quite clever. Their goal is to force the hand of the suppliers. Who can do that better than Apple, everyone's biggest customer? By putting the spotlight on Apple, the likes of Foxconn are forced to act. Very clever and not at all idiotic. Doesn't require much of an education to figure that out, one'd think.

  • Reply 14 of 14
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    josha wrote: »
    Anyway this is why I don't knowingly eat any food from China.
    Avoiding China food is becoming much more  difficult, as they play games with labeling and process our raw foods (like Alaskan salmon), then ship them back under a label of  a company here.

    I agree. You have to pay very close attention to labels, but it's not just China.

    For example, a few years ago, I was getting a new fishing rod and reel and wanted to buy American. I went to three different large sporting goods superstores and none of them had any rods (they did have a couple of reels). The frustrating part is when two of the stores sent me to the "aisle of American rods". When I started looking, they had brands like "America's Best" (made in Taiwan), "USA Deluxe" (made in China), "Texas Angler" (made in Vietnam), and so on. It turned out that none of the fishing rods were made in America at ANY of the stores. Fortunately, there is a local manufacturer who makes them, so I was able to get my American fishing gear. But I have to wonder how many people buy the above brands because they think they're made in the US.
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