Name: Insights: How Apple Strives For Sustainable Products
Uploaded: 2020-02-11
Duration: 3 min 53 s
Description: Apple's environmental initiatives VP, Lisa Jackson, discusses the challenges the tech giant faced when trying to be green. (May 2014)

 I think if all of us as sustainability professionals have to resort to make and sell less stuff as the answer to the problem, then we are suffering from an extraordinary lack of imagination and innovation. I mean, one of the things that your company certainly, I think, Apple is about is trying to understand where the technology innovations and other innovations are that help us to reduce carbon intensity. We're not advocating for less people to have access to our products. That's not the answer we're looking for. What we're looking for is understanding the whole puzzle. I mean, there's lots of work being done on the app economy, on the idea-- I was telling somebody before that so many people much younger than me, unfortunately, more on the age of my kids, don't necessarily feel that they need access to as many things, including automobiles, because they feel connected to be able to get to those. And what is the impact of that? So I totally understand that as growth happens, carbon intensity can sometimes be a little bit of a difficult pill to swallow. But I don't see how you can get around. We didn't present carbon intensity on the website because it's a great story for us. We wanted to own the whole footprint. But I do think it has a place in the discussion. I think, Lisa, I'll close with a similar question, which I know you've addressed before. You also are unwilling to apologize for this accusation that Apple designs its products for obsolescence. A lot of them get tossed out, and that's not good for the environment. Why not? First off, it's not true. We do run, I think, probably the best recycling collection scheme of anyone in our sector. We collect well over 80% by weight of the product amount that we put out seven years ago, which is a metric that the industry came up with. It actually wasn't an Apple metric. We do fine by that metric. Part of the interesting thing about that metric is if you look at the weight of product seven years ago, our products have gotten very different in terms of even the Macs, to use a great example. It's gotten smaller. It's gotten lighter. It's gotten more compact. So we're collecting a lot based on a product mix that goes down. We don't collect a lot of our product. We're still have a lot of folks who are still using relatively old models, if you will, of our product, because they can still use the software. What our challenge is for anyone who's looking at resource efficiency or the circular economy or a lot of the great discussions I know we're all going to have over drinks or dinner over the next couple of days is to figure out how the collection process turns into the reuse process turns into the commoditization of recycled material turns into an entire economy around that. And to recognize that although we love circles and it's a wonderful metaphor that we have to have lots of places for people to input and output from that circle. So I do believe that there is a need to look at the longevity and usefulness of the products, how long they last, how resilient they are, as part of that question. Because you can make anything and recycle it. But if you make something and give it high value and use high quality materials that are therefore recyclable, that's a good first step and where Apple wants to go and where I think we can lead is because of the materials we use. We'll be on that road in the future. 

Insights: How Apple Strives For Sustainable Products

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The challenges the tech giant faced when trying to be green.

How Apple Strives For Sustainable Products

Apple's environmental initiatives VP, Lisa Jackson, discusses the challenges the tech giant faced when trying to be green. (May 2014)

I think if all of us is sustainability, professionals have to resort to make and sell less stuff is the answer to the problem. Then we are suffering from an extraordinary lack of enough imagination on innovation. I mean, one of the things that, um, your company certainly I think Apple is about trying to understand where the technology, innovations and other innovations are that help us to reduce carbon intensity. We're not advocating for less. People toe have access to our product. That's not the answer we're looking for. What we're looking for is understanding the whole, the whole puzzle. I mean, there's lots of work being done on the app economy on the idea of telling somebody before that, you know, so many people much younger than me. Unfortunately, more on the age of my kids don't necessarily feel that they need access to many things, including automobiles, because they feel connected to be able to get to those. And what is the impact of that? So I totally understand that growth happens. Um, carbon intensity can sometimes the a little bit of ah ah, difficulty pill to swallow, but I don't see how you can get around you know, we didn't We didn't present carbon intensity on the Web site because it's a great story for us. We wanted to own the whole footprint, but I do think it has a place in the I think we felt close with a similar question, which is I know you've addressed before. You also are unwilling to apologize for this accusation, that Apple designs its products for obsolescence that you know a lot of get tossed out. And that's not good for the environment. Why not? Yeah, First off, it's not true. We do run, I think, probably the best recycling collection scheme of anyone in our sector. We collect well over 80% by weight of the product amount that we put out seven years ago, which is a metric that the industry came up. Whether actually wasn't Anabel metric. We do find by that metric part of it. Part of the interesting thing about that metric is, if you if you look at the weight of product seven years ago, our products have gotten very different in terms of even the max. He's a great example. Gotten smaller, gotten lighters, got more compact. So we're collecting. Ah lot based on a product mix that goes down. We don't collect a lot of our product. We're still have a lot of folks who were still using relatively old models, if you will, of our product, because they can still use the software. What we what are challenges for anyone who's looking at resource efficiency or the circular economy? Or a lot of the great discussions I know we're all gonna have over drinks or dinner over the next couple of days is figure out how the collection process turns into the res process, turns into the commoditization of recycled material, turns into an entire economy around that, and to recognize that although we love circles and it's a wonderful metaphor that we have to have lots of places for people to end, put an output from that circles. So I don't I do believe that there is a need to look at the longevity and usefulness is a product of the product, how long they last, how resilient they are as part of that question, because you can make anything and recycle it. But if you make something and give it high value and use high quality materials, that are there for recyclable. That's a good first step and where Apple wants to go, Where I think, um, we can lead is because of the materials we use will be on that road in the future.