Apple to reduce e-waste along its value and supply chains

As Apple goes even greener with the latest versions of three watches, it commits to encouraging its suppliers to follow suit.
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Apple announced its intention to become carbon neutral by 2030, specifically regarding the latest versions of three of its watches. Inputs deemed environmentally harmful, from raw material inputs to distribution channels, will be consistently reduced. Head of environmental and governance efforts, Lisa Jackson, underscored Apple’s commitment to greening the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra 2. To meet its green targets, plans are to go as far below estimation baselines as possible and to purchase carbon credits the rest of the way. For instance, the Series 8 watch created 33 kg (73 lb) of carbon emissions from inventory to delivery. With the Series 9, the plan is to emit only 8.1 kg (18 lb).

Why does it matter?

To date, steps have been made to use clean electricity in manufacturing and value and supply chains. Apple’s commitment to reducing e-waste shows how distribution and supply chains can be altered. For example, distribution will not depend on planes, as was the custom with previous versions of the watches. Other modes, including boats and trains, which emit about 1/20th of aeroplanes’ carbon, will be used instead.