Title: Apple Environmental Report demystified - what it all means to the consumer | AppleInsider
Headings: Apple Environmental Report demystified - what it all means to the consumer
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Apple Environmental Report demystified - what it all means to the consumer
The inherent problems with mobile technology
Environmentally smart, economically smarter
Plastic is so 2017
Carbon footprint reduction
Waste is still waste
What's mined is mine, and what's recycled isn't mined
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Practical solutions to practical problems

Content: Even accounting for more complete reporting with the inclusion of distribution center waste, it's clear that Apple still has a lot of room for improvement in reducing hazardous and landfilled waste. What's mined is mine, and what's recycled isn't mined
One of the most environmentally detrimental processes in electronics production is mining. Consumer electronics are responsible for a significant amount of mining. The electronics industry is the second-largest consumer of copper. That's nothing to say of rare earth minerals, which are used for things like Taptic engines in smartphones. Mining not only disrupts ecological sites by requiring deforestation and habitat destruction, but it also renders that land susceptible to erosion, which isn't easy to reverse. Ores and minerals are also capable of leaching into soil and groundwater. This can and often does contaminate the water table near mining sites and render drinking water unsafe. Runoff and mine waste can also create ecological dead zones in streams, rivers, and ponds near mining sites. These minerals and ores often show up in food chains, the same way seafood has become associated with an increased risk of mercury poisoning.