Firms must consider the ethical aspects of their manufacturing processes, as customers may consciously choose to avoid such businesses for moral reasons. Stakeholders and clients alike are less likely to support products that are harmful to the planet and people (Gupta et al., 2020). Apple, Inc. is among the most scrutinized companies since there are significant ethical issues that negatively affect its brand. Apple iPhones are typical products that worsen public health and cause downstream societal problems. People should care greatly regarding the adverse factors stemming from Apple’s manufacturing and logistics.
The environmental impact of iPhones is detrimental, as e-waste is not addressed by Apple in a reasonable manner. By building phones in a way that disallows users to repair them adequately, Apple increases the amount of global e-waste (Shinde, 2020). Apple forces users to repurchase products and expends energy excessively. People must comprehend that their choice of inefficient phones contributes to fuel consumption. People should recognize this flaw and understand that Apple pollutes the atmosphere through its energy waste.
There are also problems with the way Apple and its partners treat their workers. Chinese employees who build iPhones are subjected to hazardous materials, physical violence, and unsafe working conditions, while there are documented cases of child laborers dying in Apple’s cobalt mines (Vuddaraju, 2022). It does not matter that Apple does not own these factories since it supports such unethical behavior directly through its inaction and shows its irresponsible attitude toward human lives. Even with parental consent, child labor is immoral, and the concept of suicide nets indicates that these issues are rampant. There is no context under which these actions can be seen as beneficial for humanity.
In conclusion, there is enough evidence against supporting Apple, Inc., as the firm does not deal with the flaws in its production with sufficient effort. There are multiple known cases of worker abuse, child labor, and detrimental environmental impacts from Apple’s activities. I care about such issues, as others should, since they reflect humanity’s values. The primary solution is a brand boycott because it reflects people’s attitudes toward such problems. After learning about the issues with manufacturing iPhones, I do not plan on supporting the company or its products until there is a significant improvement in the ethical aspects of its creation.
References
Gupta, S. M., Güngör, A., Govindan, K., Özceylan, E., Kalaycı, C. B., & Piplani, R. (2020). Responsible & sustainable manufacturing. International Journal of Production Research, 58(23), 7181-7182. Web.
Shinde, S. S. (2020). E-waste management and economic opportunities. Ilkogretim Online, 19(4), 6004-6012. Web.
Vuddaraju, A. V. (2022). Workplace violence at Apple Inc. as a result of prejudice. ScienceOpen Preprints. Web.