Supplier Lens Technology Commits to 100 Percent Renewable Energy for Apple Manufacturing

Apple today announced that Lens Technology, one of its major suppliers in China, has committed to power all its glass production for Apple with 100 percent renewable energy by 2018. The commitment is a large step in Apple's efforts to help manufacturers lower their carbon footprint in China.

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Lens Technology has committed to power all of its glass production for Apple with 100 percent renewable energy by the end of 2018, as part of Apple’s industry-leading supply chain clean energy program announced last year. Lens is the first supplier to make a clean energy commitment for all of its Apple production, and will meet its goal through an unprecedented power purchase agreement with local wind projects.

The Cupertino company also announced that all 14 of its final assembly sites in the country are now compliant with UL's Zero Waste to Landfill validation. The standard, which started in January 2015, certifies that all manufacturing waste is reused, recycled, composted, or converted into energy (when necessary). Since the program began, nearly, 140,000 metric tons of waste have been diverted from landfills.

"We want to show the world that you can manufacture responsibly and we're working alongside our suppliers to help them lower their environment impact in China," Lisa Jackson, Apple's VP of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives said in a statement. "We congratulate Lens for their bold step, and hope by sharing the lessons we've learned in our transition to renewable energy, our suppliers will continue to access clean power projects, moving China closer to its green manufacturing goals."

Two Lens facilities in Changsha, Hunan province are currently used for Apple manufacturing. By 2018, Apple and Lens hope wind energy will cover 100 percent of energy consumed by Apple manufacturing. The change would avoid nearly 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Last October, Apple announced two clean energy programs aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of its manufacturing partners in the country. At the time, Apple said the programs would avoid over 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas pollution in China between now and 2020.

Tags: China, Apple environment

Top Rated Comments

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H2SO4

29 months ago

You should stop throwing away your devices and see how long they can last.

Not only Apple, but people say that nowadays things are "throaway", some things on the market are very well made and good products, there are still some good manufacturers/product lines. iPhones, specially, last much longer than people normally use them. And the only reason they do upgrade is because the newer one looks slightly different and has a light that blinks 2x faster, and a couple of new tricks to show their friends.

If I have a RAM failure on a unit that has it wave soldered in. It’s throw away.
I don’t make a habit of throwing things out becuase they are old. Companies, like Apple, are making their products irrepairable.

Rating: 7 Votes

H2SO4

29 months ago

Ok, so the idea behind this sounds excellent. 75% of the way there in my eyes.
All they need to do now is stop making throwaway appliances and that’ll take it to 100.

Rating: 3 Votes

GrumpyMom

29 months ago

Where I live there was a power company bragging about their renewable energy strategy. Turns out they were burning "bio-mass" (aka. Trees) to make power.

Sounds like the same company near my friend's home that bought a huge parcel of wooded land and is planning to cut down all the trees to build a wind farm. :confused:

Windmills are not without their negative impacts on nature, either. Mainly their production of infrasound and the possible effects on animals and humans. But that's a topic for another place and time.

At this point China probably needs to curb emissions more than it needs to worry about infrasound pollution.

Rating: 2 Votes

H2SO4

29 months ago

Ever hear of out of warranty repair or trade in programs. Those iPhones aren't just thrown away.

LOL. Way to not see the whole point.

Rating: 2 Votes

SandboxGeneral

29 months ago

"We want to show the world that you can manufacture responsibly and we're working alongside our suppliers to help them lower their environment impact in China," Lisa Jackson, Apple's VP of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives said in a statement. "We congratulate Lens for their bold step, and hope by sharing the lessons we've learned in our transition to renewable energy, our suppliers will continue to access clean power projects, moving China closer to its green manufacturing goals."

It makes me happy to see Apple, such a huge global company, be a leader in environmental responsibility like this, especially in China where they have most of their manufacturing done. I certainly hope other companies take a cue and make efforts to follow suit.

Rating: 2 Votes

32828870

29 months ago

Windmills are not without their negative impacts on nature, either. Mainly their production of infrasound and the possible effects on animals and humans. But that's a topic for another place and time.

That was true years ago but as new technology unfolds, nations such as Germany, Israel and even Costa Rica ('http://www.fastcoexist.com/3044360/costa-rica-is-now-running-on-100-renewable-electricity') are using 100% renewable, clean energy. Of note, wind farms are "bladeless", using a form of cyclone technology while also having been found to be a first line of defense against hurricanes ('http://theconversation.com/wind-turbines-could-put-the-brakes-on-hurricanes-23705') and other similar "natural disasters".

Additionally, advancements in solar paneling have skyrocketed with Israel leading global markets in green technology. Israel was named as the world’s top innovator ('http://www.jpost.com/Business/Business-Features/Israel-crowned-worlds-top-innovator-in-cleantech-field-361329') in the field of clean technologies by the Global Cleantech 100 Index ('http://www.cleantech.com/indexes/global-cleantech-100/2014-global-cleantech-100/'), topping 40 other countries. As such, major advancements in renewable, clean energy are breaking the stranglehold from the oil and gas industry, which continues to promote Fracking and natural gas and "clean coal" as the future for US energy independence while Fracking has been banned and continues to be banned in other countries and many US States ('http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/where-fracking-was-banned-this-year/').

It's amazing how technology is quickly evolving to solve a problem that it has continued to worsen, finally bringing it full circle to a future economy driven my clean, renewable energy. After banning arsenic and other toxinogens from their products years ago, including less use of plastic and more focus on recyclable aluminum and glass, I applaud Apple for proving that you don't have to go "red" in order to go "green". Now, we need to focus on e-waste by making the products upgradable with less soldering and focus on "thin". ;)

Rating: 1 Votes

H2SO4

29 months ago

You can 'throw away' your product in Apple Stores where they will recycle it for you. Also, lots of real world users keep their Apple products for ages. I know people with MacBook Pros from 2009, iPhone 4S/5 users etc.

Again. Missing the point.
Take the scenario.
Item A is made up of lots of parts but manufactured in such a way as to prevent in depth repair even by the manufacturer, (I’m not talking about the ability to solder in our own LSIs).
Item B is made up of lots of parts but manufactured in such a way as to allow in depth repair.

Both item A and item B fail in the same way. (RAM dies).
Item A has the entire logic board crushed and recycled.
Item B has the just the RAM crushed and recycled.

Which is kinder to the environment? Notice also that the UL's Zero Waste to Landfill validation. The standard, which started in January 2015, certifies that all manufacturing waste is reused, recycled, composted, or converted into energy (when necessary). This only covers the production process. not the subsequent repair or all of the bits that did or didn’t get back to the OEM.
They’ve done well but they could easily do better.

Rating: 1 Votes

Zimmie

29 months ago

Where I live there was a power company bragging about their renewable energy strategy. Turns out they were burning "bio-mass" (aka. Trees) to make power.

Depending on the area, that can be quite a good energy source. Lumber mills produce an unbelievable amount of sawdust, which can be compressed into small pellets that are burned for power generation. It's also significantly less awful than burning coal or oil in most circumstances.

Rating: 1 Votes

mr.steevo

29 months ago

Where I live there was a power company bragging about their renewable energy strategy. Turns out they were burning "bio-mass" (aka. Trees) to make power.

Rating: 1 Votes

8281

29 months ago

Yeah I think the heavy metals and coal ash from burning coal and the whole removal of entire landscapes during mining is significantly worse than any windmill.

Rating: 1 Votes

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