In 2015, Apple launched a zero waste program that provides onsite support to help suppliers learn how to recycle and reuse materials, and divert waste from landfills.
Apple supplier Wistron’s facility in Bengaluru has achieved zero waste to landfill certification in a little over a year, much faster than its assembly units in China. The other assembly units took two years to secure the certification.
Wistron’s unit in the industrial hub of Peenya has been assembling the low-cost iPhone SE since last year. It’s the only iPhone assembling unit outside China and Brazil.
To achieve a zero waste to landfill certification through certification agency Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a factory must divert 100% of its waste from landfills, with a maximum of 10% sent to a waste-to-energy facility.
When the program began, suppliers with the most significant waste impact were selected – final assembly facilities in China. In two years, 100% of its final assembly locations in China had attained zero waste certifications, the report said.
In early 2017, Apple began work with Wistron in Bengaluru and a key part of the program was to provide waste management training to its employees, to educate them on avoiding sending any waste to the landfills. The program included assistance in selecting recyclable protective materials and finding service providers to reclaim materials at the end of life.