Apple Supplier Facing Pollution Problems in China

One of Apple's Chinese suppliers, Pegatron, has been accused of polluting the environment with toxic water and gas.

The company, responding to environmental complaints, has replaced older equipment and said it would subject the machines to regular maintenance, according to DigiTimes and AppleInsider. Apple was named in the complaints asked to remedy the situation, but didn't do so until the report was about to go public, reports said.

Apple publishes an annual report of its suppliers, the latest called the Apple Supplier Responsibility 2011 Progress Report, saying:

Apple is committed to driving the highest standards of social responsibility throughout our supply base. We require that our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes wherever Apple products are made.

So, if we are to believe Apple, they would work quickly and tirelessly not to have their suppliers be gross polluters, right? Well, according to Apple's own report, more than half of its suppliers didn't handle or store hazardous chemicals correctly and half operated without necessary government permits, the Guardian reported. The National Resources Defense Council called on Apple earlier this month to rectify environmental problems.

The reality is that making iPhones and iPads causes a lot of pollution, but if Apple is going to tell the world its suppliers are "environmentally responsible," the company should at least enforce those standards.

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