Apple's Environmental Corporate Social Resonsibility

Justin Kemppainen

9 Oct 202006:06

Summary

TLDRApple, a tech giant valued at $750 billion, is making strides in sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The company claims to power its facilities with 100% renewable energy, with 66% generated by Apple-owned projects like its solar-paneled headquarters. The remaining energy is sourced through direct purchases and renewable energy certificates (RECs). Despite these efforts, only 2% of Apple's carbon footprint is offset by renewables, with 74% stemming from manufacturing. Apple's recycling initiative, featuring robots like Daisy, recovers materials from iPhones for future use. However, with a rapid product cycle and high repair costs, critics argue that Apple prioritizes profits over environmental concerns. Consumers are encouraged to recycle old devices to reduce e-waste.

Takeaways

🍏 Apple is a 750 billion dollar company focusing on innovation and sustainability.
🌿 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) involves a company's impact on the environment, community, workplace, and marketplace.
🏢 Apple claims that 100% of their facilities are powered by renewable energy, with 66% from projects they own.
🔋 Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, is entirely solar-powered, producing 17 megawatts of power.
♻️ The remaining 34% of renewable energy comes from direct purchases and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
🌐 Apple's total carbon footprint is only 2% from their facilities, with 74% coming from product manufacturing.
🤖 'Daisy', Apple's recycling robot, can disassemble 200 iPhones per hour, recovering valuable materials like gold and cobalt.
📱 The recovered materials from recycled iPhones are used in future Apple devices.
🔄 Despite Apple's environmental efforts, they continue to release new products frequently, contributing to e-waste.
🔧 Apple's repair policies and pricing may encourage consumers to purchase new devices rather than repair old ones.
🌱 While not perfect, Apple is making significant strides in renewable energy use and reducing e-waste through initiatives like Daisy.

Q & A

What is the current market value of Apple as mentioned in the script?
-Apple is valued at 750 billion dollars.
What does the term 'corporate social responsibility' refer to in the context of the script?
-Corporate social responsibility is a framework that describes how a corporation addresses societal impacts, focusing on the environment, community, workplace, and marketplace.
How does Apple claim to power its facilities with renewable energy?
-Apple claims that 66% of the renewable energy for its facilities comes from projects they own, such as their headquarters in Cupertino, California, which is 100% powered by solar panels and biogas fuel cells. The remaining 34% is a mix of direct purchasing from renewable utilities and buying renewable energy certificates (RECs).
What is the role of the robot 'Daisy' in Apple's recycling efforts?
-Daisy is a robot designed by Apple to disassemble iPhones, recovering materials like gold, cobalt, plastic, and tin, which are harder for traditional recyclers to extract. This helps in the reuse of these materials in future Apple devices.
What percentage of Apple's total carbon footprint is accounted for by their facilities' energy usage?
-Apple's facilities' energy usage accounts for only 2% of their total carbon footprint.
According to the script, what is the majority of Apple's carbon emissions attributed to?
-The majority of Apple's carbon emissions, around 74%, come from the manufacturing of their products and third-party facilities.
What is the significance of the 'True Tone' feature in relation to Apple's repair policies?
-True Tone is a feature that adjusts the screen's brightness based on ambient light. Apple has implemented a system where if a non-certified screen replacement is detected, the True Tone feature gets disabled, potentially encouraging users to purchase new devices rather than repair.
How does the script suggest that Apple's product release cycle impacts the environment?
-The script implies that Apple's frequent product releases, on a one to two-year cycle, contribute to environmental concerns by promoting a cycle of constant consumption and disposal, which can lead to increased electronic waste.
What steps can consumers take to support Apple's recycling efforts, as suggested in the script?
-Consumers can support Apple's recycling efforts by returning their old Apple devices to Apple for recycling, ensuring that precious materials are recovered and repurposed.
What is the script's overall assessment of Apple's environmental efforts?
-While acknowledging that Apple is not perfect, the script gives credit to Apple for making significant strides in renewable energy and recycling efforts, particularly with the use of their robot Daisy. However, it also points out that the company's focus on profits, as seen in their repair policies, might be at odds with their environmental claims.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Apple's Environmental Commitment and CSR

Apple, valued at 750 billion dollars, focuses on innovation and personalized tech while emphasizing sustainability. The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is introduced, which encompasses the environment, community, workplace, and marketplace. Apple's environmental efforts include powering their facilities with 100% renewable energy, with 66% generated from their own projects like the solar panels at their Cupertino headquarters. The remaining energy comes from direct purchases and renewable energy certificates (RECs). However, these efforts only account for 2% of their total carbon footprint, with 74% coming from product manufacturing. Apple's recycling initiatives include 'Daisy,' a robot that disassembles iPhones to recover materials like gold and cobalt, which are used in future products. Despite these efforts, Apple's frequent product releases and high repair costs suggest a focus on profits over environmental concerns, with only a small percentage of electronic waste being recycled globally.

05:01

🔄 Apple's Environmental Efforts and Repair Policies

While acknowledging that Apple is doing more for the environment than most companies, the paragraph highlights the company's use of serial number checks to discourage third-party repairs and encourage new product purchases. Despite the impressive strides in renewable energy and the engineering marvel of 'Daisy,' the repairability of iPhones is questioned due to Apple's profit-driven approach. The paragraph concludes by urging consumers to consider e-waste and the importance of recycling old electronic devices, suggesting that individual actions can make a difference in environmental sustainability.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Corporate Social Responsibility refers to a company's commitment to consider the social, environmental, and economic impacts of its operations in an ethical and sustainable manner. In the context of the video, Apple's CSR is discussed in terms of its environmental initiatives, such as using renewable energy and recycling programs. The video mentions that Apple claims its facilities are powered by 100% renewable energy, which is a significant aspect of its CSR strategy.

💡Renewable Energy

Renewable energy sources are those that are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. The video discusses Apple's claim that its facilities are powered by 100% renewable energy, with 66% coming from projects that Apple owns, like solar panels at its headquarters, and the rest from direct purchases and renewable energy certificates (RECs). This commitment to renewable energy is a key part of Apple's environmental sustainability efforts.

💡Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)

Renewable Energy Certificates, also known as RECs or 'green tags,' are tradable, non-tangible energy commodities in the United States that represent proof that 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity was generated from an eligible renewable energy resource. The video explains that Apple uses RECs to account for the remaining 34% of its renewable energy mix, which helps balance out the non-renewable energy used in the grid by generating an equivalent amount of renewable energy elsewhere.

💡Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced directly or indirectly to support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide. The video states that Apple admits to a carbon footprint of 25.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, with manufacturing being the largest contributor. This term is central to understanding Apple's environmental impact and its efforts to reduce it.

💡Recycling

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. In the video, Apple's recycling efforts are highlighted through the introduction of 'Daisy,' a robot that can disassemble iPhones to recover valuable materials like gold, cobalt, plastic, and tin. This process not only reduces e-waste but also contributes to a circular economy by reusing materials in future products.

💡E-Waste

E-waste, or electronic waste, consists of discarded electrical or electronic devices. The video points out that only a small percentage of electronic waste is recycled globally, and it encourages viewers to bring their old devices to Apple for recycling. This term is crucial for understanding the environmental challenges posed by the disposal of electronic devices and the importance of responsible recycling.

💡Repairability

Repairability refers to how easy it is to repair a product. The video discusses the challenges faced by third-party repair services due to Apple's policies, such as disabling certain features if non-certified parts are used. This concept is important in the context of sustainability, as it relates to the longevity and lifecycle of products, which in turn affects e-waste generation.

💡True Tone

True Tone is a feature on Apple devices that adjusts the color temperature of the display based on the ambient light. The video mentions that Apple disables True Tone on devices with non-certified screens as a measure to encourage customers to use authorized repairs. This feature is an example of how Apple's repair policies can influence consumer behavior and the broader implications for device repairability.

💡Daisy (Robot)

Daisy is Apple's second-generation recycling robot designed to disassemble iPhones and recover materials more efficiently than its predecessor, Liam. The video praises Daisy as an engineering marvel that contributes to sustainability by keeping valuable components out of landfills. Daisy exemplifies Apple's innovation in recycling and its commitment to reducing environmental impact.

💡Circular Economy

A circular economy is an economic system aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources by designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. The video touches on this concept through Apple's recycling initiatives, which are part of a broader effort to move towards a circular economy model in the tech industry.

Highlights

Apple is valued at 750 billion dollars and is known for its continuous innovation in personalized tech.

Apple claims to innovate in sustainability, focusing on environmental, social, and corporate responsibility.

Corporate social responsibility encompasses the environment, community, workplace, and marketplace.

Apple's facilities are powered by 100% renewable energy, with 66% from projects owned by Apple.

Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, is fully powered by solar panels and biogas fuel cells.

Apple can send excess power back to the grid during low occupancy times.

The remaining 34% of renewable energy comes from direct purchases and renewable energy certificates (RECs).

RECs are carbon credits for renewable energy, balancing out non-renewable energy use.

Apple's renewable energy efforts only account for 2% of their total carbon footprint.

74% of Apple's carbon emissions come from product manufacturing and third-party facilities.

In 2019, Apple admitted to emitting 25.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Apple has developed a robot named Daisy that can disassemble 200 iPhones per hour for recycling.

Daisy recovers materials like gold, cobalt, plastic, and tin from iPhones for reuse.

Recycled materials are used in future generations of iPhones and other Apple devices.

Apple's product release cycle and limited recycling contribute to electronic waste issues.

Only 12.5% of electronic waste is estimated to be recycled globally.

Apple's screen repair prices are high, potentially encouraging new phone purchases over repairs.

Apple has implemented serial number checks for screens and batteries to control repairs.

The repair industry has found workarounds for Apple's serial number checks.

Apple is making strides in environmental responsibility, particularly with renewable energy and recycling.

Daisy, Apple's recycling robot, is a significant engineering achievement, preventing e-waste.

While Apple cares about profits, they have made efforts to improve the environment and device reliability.

Consumers are encouraged to recycle old electronic devices to reduce e-waste.