Environment

Watch new Earth Day video Apple shared at Sustainable Brands conference

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 25, 2017

Apple celebrated Earth Day 2017 by announcing a partnership with World Wildlife Fund, promoting environmentally-focused apps on App Store and posting cartoonish videos on YouTube detailing its efforts to preserve our environment for generations to come.

Today, more than a month after Earth Day took place, it shared another Earth Day video on YouTube, titled “Does my iPhone believe in incarnation?” and featuring its recycling robot Liam.

The clip was created to celebrate Apple's attendance at Sustainable Brands 2017, a Detroit conference where Sarah Chandler, Apple's Director of Operations and Environmental Initiatives, discussed Apple's plan to reduce the environmental impact of its supply chain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDXy5bEG38w “Lisa Jackson, Apple’s lead on Environment work, and our recycling robot Liam will make you believe,” reads the video's description. “Lisa and her team explain it all, while Liam disassembles your iPhone 6 so those parts can find new life.”

Bt taking apart used products, Apple is able to recycle rare earth materials and other valuable metals and send them back to its supply chain for further processing to be eventually reused in the production of components for new products.

According to the video, L.I.A.M. stands for “Liberate. iPhone. Auto-Disassembly. Machine”

Question: why does the video briefly show Tim Cook holding a bunny?

Apple’s Danish data center to warm homes and provide fertilizer to farmers

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2017

After analyzing Apple's environment report for 2016, which was released yesterday, MacWorld spotted that the company's data center being built in Denmark will return excess heat to the community, helping warm local homes. The facility in Denmark’s central Jutland region will be partly powered by recycling waste products from farms. Apple is working with Aarhus University on a solution that could turn some of the waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer for local farmers to use on their fields.

Close those rings: Apple issues Earth Day 2017 activity challenge

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 20, 2017

In addition to teaming up with World Wildlife Fund on a praiseworthy money-raising initiative, Apple is also honoring Earth Day 2017 with a new activity challenge for Apple Watch owners. MacStories, which first spotted Apple's notification, explains that Apple Watch owners are being challenged to complete at least half an hour workout on Saturday to earn a new medal in the Activity app and unlock special iMessage stickers.

Apple partners with World Wildlife Fund on money-raising Earth Day 2017 initiative

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 20, 2017

Last year, Apple honored Earth Day with an App Store promotion that sent 100 percent proceeds from select app purchases to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). It ended up being wildly successfully as the company revealed it donated $8 million to the fund. This year in celebration of Earth Day 2017, the two brands are collaborating on a similar money-raising initiative involving Apple retail stores.

I learned from these cartoonish videos that Apple makes its own artificial sweat

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 20, 2017

Did you know that Apple makes its own artificial sweat to test whether or not products like Apple Watch and Apple Pencil that come in direct contact with the human body would irritate the skin? Neither did I, but that's what they apparently do. I was educated about this, and other fun facts, by watching Apple's new cartoonish videos that highlight the company's efforts at sustainability.

Apple pledges to make gadgets from 100% renewable or recycled materials

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 20, 2017

Apple's 2017 Environmental Responsibility Report, covering fiscal year 2016, states that the company will establish a “closed-loop supply chain” and stop mining the earth altogether in order to make its products from 100 percent renewable or recycled materials, including aluminum, copper, tin and tungsten.

An industry-changing objective, indeed, but Apple has yet to completely figure out how to do it. “One day we’d like to be able to build new products with just recycled materials, including your old products,” said the Cupertino firm.

Apple partners with wind turbine maker Goldwind to bring more clean energy to Chinese suppliers

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 8, 2016

In an effort to help bring more clean energy to its Chinese suppliers, Apple and wind turbine maker Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology (also known as Goldwind) have entered into a cooperative joint venture agreement, according to a Hong Kong stock exchange filing spotted by the South China Morning Post newspaper.

Beijing Tianrun New Energy Investment, a Goldwind subsidiary, will transfer its thirty percent stakes in four project firms that will stay subsidiaries under Goldwind for stock exchange purposes.

Apple opens Red Cross donations for Louisiana flood relief

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 20, 2016

Apple is tapping into its vast base of hundreds of millions of iTunes accounts with credit cards on file to help collect donations to the American Red Cross in an effort to help victims of the flooding in southern Louisiana, which has forced thousands of people out of their homes. Banners on the iTunes and App Store and Apple's U.S. website went live Friday, with donations to the American Red Cross available in $5/$10/$25/$50/$100/$200 tiers billed directly to your credit card.

Chinese supplier commits to 100% wind energy for all Apple operations

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 4, 2017

Apple today issued a press release updating the public on its environmental progress in China while applauding its supplier Lens Technology, which in an unprecedented move has committed to utilize 100 percent renewable energy in all its glass production for the Cupertino firm by 2018.

Lens will use wind energy to power its two facilities in Changsha, Hunan province which are used for Apple manufacturing. The move will avoid nearly 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to the energy use in 380,000 Chinese homes.

U.S. regulator grants Apple Energy permission to sell solar-generated power to public utilities

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 4, 2016

Apple Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Apple, Inc. registered in Delaware last month, has successfully obtained federal approval from the United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to sell excess energy generated from its solar facilities into the wholesale market, joining Google parent Alphabet in the energy-trading business.

The firm sought permission from FERC to begin selling power within 60 days of its filing on June 6. Sales can officially begin on Saturday, Bloomberg said, as FERC's determined that Apple Energy doesn't pose a risk of being able to hike up prices.

Apple helps raise over $8M for World Wildlife Fund

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 3, 2018

Apple on Friday announced that its Apps for Earth campaign has generated more than $8 million in total proceeds. For 10 days in April, the iPhone maker worked with 24 developers to publish interactive and educational content to the App Store, with the proceeds going exclusively to the World Wildlife Fund.

Apple to build renewable energy facility in North Carolina that converts gas into electricity

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 10, 2016

The Board of Commissioners of Catawba County approved a new lease agreement on Monday that would permit Apple to build a renewable energy facility which uses fuel cells to generate electricity from the gas, Hickory Record said today. The lease provides the Cupertino firm with about 3.7 acres on the Blackburn Resource Recovery Facility in Newton.