IPhone: Environmental Friendly or not?

Awanis Aziz GM 04954

Apple Inc Background

Apple Inc was founded by Steven Paul Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Gerald Wayne on April 1, 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, CA. The company's products and services include Macintosh computers, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Xserve, a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, third-party digital content and applications through the iTunes Store and a variety of accessory, service and support offerings.

Contd
The iphone was announced in January 2007 and released the following June. Described by Steve Jobs as "a wide-screen iPod with hand controls... a revolutionary mobile phone and a breakthrough Internet communications device" On september 2013, apple introduces its new iphone 5s which comprise of a new fingerprint scanner . The fingerprint scanner is stated to be the technology that apple acquired last year when it bought security company Authentec for $356 million.

Summary of the Issue

In China where the sales of iphones has been increasing throughout the year such as more than 20 million iphones in 2012. The increasing of sales will lead to disposable of the older version of iphones where it is disposed in the village called Guiyu. The non replaceable battery in iphones 5s/5c leads to a more environmental destruction in the process of manufacturing it. The polycarbonate casing that requires in the new iphones produce more waste than the aluminium casing.

Problem Statement
How long can the iphone 5s/5c maintain its environmental friendly condition in the long run?

Analysis of the issue

Analysis of the issue

Samsung become the worlds first UL (Underwriters laboratories) environmental certified mobile phones. Samsung phones have received platinum certificate indicate that the Samsung phones have received the highest level environmental performance. Sony through its corporate social responsibility define its products to be environmental friendly by reducing the amount of dangerous chemicals used.

Contd
The policy use in Apple in order to ensure to produce environmentally friendly products is by the usage of renewable resources in order to power their plant such as solar,wind, hydro and geothermal.

Environment policy for Electronic Company

Many jurisdictions mandate the recycling of computer equipment and other electronics. Apple despite practicing green process in producing it iphones still unable to implement the e-waste policy. According to Greenpeace Apple ranked number 6 for its achievement for greener electronics.

Recommendations
Apple estimated that their iphones products will lasts for about 7 years. However, until today, due to the advancement of technology, not many people are still using the first original iphones that has been released in 2007. More iphones are being produced throughout the year lead to increasing in the amount of waste being released Electronics company shall think green and minimize the amount of their phones production throughout the year.

Conclusion
The environmental policy varies for each nation for their multinational corporation There is no direct guideline or law that imply the organizations to act according to the environmental standards Involving governments and NGOs alike shall collaborate in order to control the amount of waste being released.