11 replies to this topic

[fancyfingers]

Many people are looking at how green a current computer, laptop, or cell phone are when they are in consumers' hands. This is awesome, one thing I do not see is how green are the companies that make them? There is a lot of different products that go into a cell phone or laptop, and some of the parts are plastic. If the end product is deemed 'green', but making the product isn't, how do you feel about that?

Once a 'green' cell phone or laptop, do you factor in to how healthy the product is? Do you know the amount of radiation (electromagnetic waves) the item is giving off? Do you factor this in to making your decision on how green the product is?

[Shortpoet-GTD]

In general, e-gadgets are made in sweat shops with no regard for the workers. They force them to work
long shifts, few breaks, inhumane conditions.
Apple products head the list for these abuses.
Until the people in these countries stand up for themselves and demand better working conditions,
our consumption puts these folks at risk.
Too many companies use "green-washing" to sell their product. 99.9% are not to be trusted with their
"green" labels.

[j_pin]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 17 February 2012 - 08:40 AM, said:

Apple products head the list for these abuses.

This is actually not completely true. Apple gets a lot of press for their factories, more so than other tech companies, but the workers that work for HP and the other companies are under just has harsh of conditions, sometimes work. As sad as it is, people actually line up by the tens of thousands to apply to work at FoxConn (a main Apple product factory) because the conditions are actually better than some of the other companies. :(

[Sandra Piddock]

The problem is, to make a 'green' product can cost more than just making a regular product, but companies like the advertising bonus of proclaiming themselves green, so they cut back on costs with the workforce. Most people are not all that concerned as long as they can say they've bought a green product, and it hasn't cost them too much.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Update-
"Apple Inc and its main contract manufacturing Foxconn agreed to tackle violations of conditions among the
1.2 million workers assembling iPhones and iPads in a landmark decision that could change the way
Western companies do business in China.

Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group, whose subsidiary Hon Hai Precision Industry assembles Apple devices
in factories in China, will hire tens of thousands of new workers, eliminate illegal overtime,
improve safety protocols and upgrade workers' housing and other amenities.

It is a response to one of the largest investigations ever conducted of a U.S. company's operations outside of America.
Apple had agreed to the probe by the independent Fair Labor Association FLA.L to stem a crescendo of
criticism that its products were built on the backs of mistreated Chinese workers.

The association, in disclosing its findings from a survey of three Foxconn plants and over 35,000 workers,
said it had unearthed multiple violations of labour law, including extreme hours and unpaid overtime.

Under the agreement, Foxconn said it will reduce working hours to 49 per week, including overtime, while keeping total compensation for workers at its current level.
The FLA audit found workers in the three factories put in more than 60 hours per week on average during
peak production periods."
http://www.reuters.c...E82T00B20120330

[dconklin]

j_pin, on 17 February 2012 - 07:55 PM, said:

This is actually not completely true. Apple gets a lot of press for their factories, more so than other tech companies, but the workers that work for HP and the other companies are under just has harsh of conditions, sometimes work. As sad as it is, people actually line up by the tens of thousands to apply to work at FoxConn (a main Apple product factory) because the conditions are actually better than some of the other companies. :(

Apple was really pointed out recently tho, it was brought to the public all the suicides and threat of suicides from the harsh work environments at their manufacture.  Apple didn't even try to change anything until it got out to the public.  There was a big thing about the Iphone because of this.  Tho I do have some gadgets, I don't have any Apple product, never did and never will.  I also do not upgrade devices often, I wait until the device is faulty and not working well before replacing it.

You are right tho, Apple is not the only company out there.  These products don't even cost a lot to make, but yet they cost an arm and a leg (both literally and figuratively speaking)  :(

[zararina]

It was a sad and also an alarming fact that "green" is being abused by some companies just to raise their income. Some just labeled their products a green one even it was not.And I think that the government or an organization should be making researches and investigations to stop those things and protect the environment as well as the consumers.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

zararina, on 30 March 2012 - 11:13 PM, said:

It was a sad and also an alarming fact that "green" is being abused by some companies just to raise their income. Some just labeled their products a green one even it was not.And I think that the government or an organization should be making researches and investigations to stop those things and protect the environment as well as the consumers.

Main question being, why did apple (no capital letter-no respect) move their operations to Asian countries
in the first place? Steve Jobs wasn't as much of a "stand-up" guy as everyone thinks .
Why not America?
The country that housed, fed and educated him to design and market his products wasn't good enough? BAH!

[dkramarczyk]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 17 February 2012 - 08:40 AM, said:

In general, e-gadgets are made in sweat shops with no regard for the workers. They force them to work
long shifts, few breaks, inhumane conditions.
Apple products head the list for these abuses.
Until the people in these countries stand up for themselves and demand better working conditions,
our consumption puts these folks at risk.
Too many companies use "green-washing" to sell their product. 99.9% are not to be trusted with their
"green" labels.

Now I feel horrible about having any gadgets. I really wish those people would just stand up for what they believe in and get some better working conditions. They'll end up killing themselves working like that.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

That's the cost we all pay for outsourcing; it hurts everyone because workers here lose their jobs and workers
in Asian countries work like slaves.
If the congress would address the tax code, it would help. And if China treated their workers
like people rather than "production units" that would be the biggest help.

[steph84]

A lot of companies just love to slap "green" on their labels to make more money. Green does not automatically equal safe or healthy when it comes to consumer products. We have to educate ourselves as consumers before believing a lot of hype.

[dkramarczyk]

steph84, on 12 April 2012 - 07:58 PM, said:

A lot of companies just love to slap "green" on their labels to make more money. Green does not automatically equal safe or healthy when it comes to consumer products. We have to educate ourselves as consumers before believing a lot of hype.

That sound similar to all different types of products, not just green ones. All consumers need to educate themselves for all different kinds of products to make sure that they are safe, used properly, etc.