In recent years, Apple has really made a name for itself as an environmentally conscious company.
The company often talks about its environmental initiatives, climate pledges, and reducing its overall carbon footprint.
Below, we’ll discuss why Apple isn’t really as green as you think.
Image Credit: Patrickwastenz/Wikimedia
The Real Cost of Making Your iPhone
Everyone knows iPhones aren’t cheap.
Apple says that 70% of its carbon emissions come from manufacturing alone.
AndCompare and Recycleestimates that iPhone manufacturing in 2022 alone will generate a mind-boggling 17 megatons of CO2 emissions.
Image Credit: MONUSCO Photos/Wikimedia
However, the environmental impact of the iPhone starts long before the assembly line.
One of the ways Apple does this is by making it difficult to fix your iPhone.
Unfortunately, first-party repairs from Apple aren’t cheap.
No Charger Included: Is It Really Better for the Environment?
So, most users had to buy a new charger anyway, adding to the growing e-waste problem.
Selling iPhones for the same price, minus the charger, definitely let Apple boost its profit margins.
But did it really make a positive impact on the environment?
It’s something worth pondering.
Carbon Credits: How Much Are They Actually Worth?
Apple spent four years and over $5 billion building the spaceship-themed Apple Park HQ.
So, does Apple turn a huge global manufacturing and distribution web link green?
The answer is something called carbon credits.
But instead, by paying someone else to offset their pollution with carbon credits.
Many of Apple’s environmental goals are only possible because of these carbon credits.
However, many analysts have questioned whether carbon credits actually work.
So, being environmentally friendly, or at least appearing to be, is big business.
Some people have even accused Apple of greenwashing itself.
However, Apple responded by filing a lawsuit against the company instead of applauding the decision.
So, although Apple is definitely focused on appearing green, profits still drive most of its decisions.
Even though the impact of carbon credits is questionable, Apple is already carbon-neutral for its corporate operations.
Apple has also committed to using more recycled materials in its products.
The Cupertino-based company says that almost 20 percent of all materials used in its products in 2021 were recycled.
However, the company still often hides questionable environmental policies and over-inflates the positive impact of its efforts.
