Apple’s worked hard to improve its supply chain condition in 2016, with a special focus on improving working conditions and protecting the planet.
In doing so, the company claims it “raises the bar higher for its suppliers and the industry.” Check out some of the highlights below.
One of the most impressive stats is the fact that last year Apple reportedly audited 705 suppliers, and found that compliance with a 60-hour maximum work week reached 98 percent. This represented an all-time high for Apple in the time it has been running similar reports.
It’s also particularly notable considering that Apple has previously come under fire for its manufacturers failing to enforce maximum working hours.
In 2016, Apple notes that it trained more than 2.4 million workers on their rights as employees. It also observes that, since 2008, more than 2 million people have participated in Apple’s Supplier Employee Education and Development (SEED) program. This offers opportunities to earn higher education degrees, attend vocational training, and take classes in arts, finance and language skills.
On the environmental front, Apple made big inroads as well. Specifically, Apple tripled the number of supplier sites in its Energy Efficiency program, resulting in the reduction of upwards of 150,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. As Apple helpfully points out, this is the equivalent of taking 31,000 cars off the road for a period of year.
On top of this, Apple diverted 200,000 metric tons of waste from landfills, while suppliers achieved 100 percent UL Zero Waste to Landfill validation for all final assembly sites in China. In addition, for the second year in a row, 100 percent of Apple’s tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold (3TG) smelters and refiners participated in independent third-party audits.
You can check out more details about Apple’s supplier responsibility report 2016 here. This area has been a big focus for Tim Cook during his time at Apple, with one of Cook’s notable wishes being to make the company a “force for good” in the world.
While there’s still progress to be made, it seems that mission is well underway. Good for Apple!
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
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