Improved production in China: Apple saves water on the MacBook Neo
Foxconn and others are not only supposed to produce climate-neutrally but also conserve water. Apple reports successes with its “Clean Water” program for Neo.
Garden of a Foxconn factory: Built as part of Apple's "Clean Water" program.
(Image: Apple)
As part of the introduction of the MacBook Neo, Apple has also worked on its production processes. For example, the casing is manufactured using a novel “material-efficient forming process,” as Apple states. According to the company, this process uses only half the aluminum as a starting material compared to conventional machining methods. However, the material is not entirely recycled; Apple currently achieves a factor of 90 percent here. What was not previously known: The Neo is also said to be significantly more environmentally friendly in terms of water consumption during manufacturing.
Four times the water of West Lake
Apple provides details on its Chinese-language press website. The company writes that it has developed a new “closed loop” process for the anodizing process. This is used by the manufacturers involved – Apple mentions Foxconn – in China. “Closed loop” means that less water should be lost. However, this is not perfect either: the water recycling rate is currently 70 percent in the production process for the Neo.
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Overall, Apple states that it has saved 55 billion liters of drinking water with this and other measures at its manufacturers. This corresponds to about four times the water volume of the well-known West Lake in Zhejiang. According to Operations Chief (COO) Sabih Khan, Apple works with all Chinese suppliers to protect “the world's most valuable resource.” The new aluminum process is the next step in this direction, changing a 100-year-old, traditionally water-intensive industrial process.
Clean drinking water is scarce
Apple launched the so-called Clean Water Project for China 13 years ago. The aim is to minimize the amount of drinking water used in the company's processes and to recycle water instead. In addition, suppliers are trained in water management and eco-design. At Foxconn, this resulted in a garden project on the campus in Longhua, where rainwater is purified and reused.
The issue of drinking water is particularly important in China. For example, even in large cities like Beijing, it is still advised against drinking tap water directly, as it can be contaminated.
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