Perhaps because of Siddharth Kara’s book, COBALT RED: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives, Apple recently announced it will use 100% recycled cobalt in its batteries by 2025.
How will Apple change its cobalt supply chain…by 2025? How will Apple prove that it’s not using newly mined cobalt? How much energy (from fossil fuels) will said recycling consume? How much toxic waste will it emit?
Why not aim for products that biodegrade? Why not plan for every product’s 2nd life at the design stage?
If consumers knew about electronics’ supply chains, would we require corporations to prove their claims, annually—like France has begun to do?
Questions for Apple
The issue is that many are so addicted to the tech, that they turn a blind eye to the social consequences. For them liberty , respect, and social responsibility are a "hobby" rather than a principle. However all it takes are a tireless few like yourself Katie to begin to turn the tide. Thanks for raising awareness - I didn't even know about this recent change over at Apple.