BY
TRIOKTA PELA
Africa-Press – Kenya. Currently, people in the world are aware of the concept of sustainability and preserving natural resources for a better life. The concept of a linear economy that was previously used has shifted to the concept of a circular economy. Linear economics in application uses product, use, and discard design patterns. In this economic concept, ultimately there will be a buildup of waste that cannot be managed by individuals. Responsibility for waste management has become a new problem. Waste is increasing and piling up, disrupting the natural ecosystems of each country. For developed countries, electronic waste that is in the country is then sent abroad. But what about the condition of the countries receiving this waste? Does their country have a good waste management scheme or pattern? And what are the responsibilities of the company producing the product?
Circular Economy
The circular economy concept is a concept that focuses on the goal of reducing waste, pollution, and negative impacts on the environment. This sustainable concept is a new solution to environmental damage that occurs in the world today. The circular economy concept in its application involves all products and materials that are designed to be reused, remanufactured, recycled, or recovered so that they can be used for a long period. Its application in the manufacturing industry is considered quite promising. A manufacturing plant can save production costs by up to USD 700 billion per year by reducing pure natural resource processing activities.
This application in the manufacturing industry is a new solution that brings more profits. From the producer’s side, an item that is no longer used can have new value. This new value is the result of an innovation process carried out by producers through research and development schemes. In the manufacturing industry, producers can utilize technology to reduce the number of goods produced through pure materials and have sustainable value. In its implementation, collaboration between various stakeholders is needed to create a new supply chain that can support company production (Contec, 2022).
Apple Manufacturing Company
Apple Inc is a company from the United States that produces electronic devices such as computers, smartphones, tablet computers, and software that is used by many people in the world. The uniqueness of devices produced by Apple Inc. is well known to the public because they always succeed in providing the latest innovations that can pamper users of these devices. This company is committed to protecting the environment and always reducing waste from its production. Lisa Jackson, VP of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives at Apple Inc., provides the company’s projections for the next decade in the Apple Environmental Progress Report (Apple Corporation, 2024). Apple 2030 is committed to being carbon neutral and always maintaining its production lines. The efforts made by this company start from how the company innovates environmentally friendly products.
Steps such as starting to use clean, renewable energy in the company’s supply chain are expected to be seen as one of the new steps for the company and its 320 suppliers. Apple and its suppliers are committed to using renewable electricity in its production lines. This is a step towards caring for greenhouse gas emissions by this company. The collaboration carried out by Apple Inc. is a major collaboration carried out by the company with communities and organizations to support environmental solutions. Programs such as Power For Impact which provides clean energy to communities in Nepal and Colombia are a form of social action activation by companies. In India, Apple Inc. is trying to provide access to clean water and sanitation to the community (Apple Corporation, 2024).
If you look at the production line from Apple Inc., this company innovates through the materials used. Apple is committed to providing more recycled and renewable materials to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. Additionally, Apple has a Trade-in program. Many Apple customers will upgrade their devices every time the company releases a product. Apple provides a solution for its customers to trade in directly at Apple stores. This program is a collaboration program carried out with Apple customers to reduce their electronic waste.
Apple Inc. explains the Environment Report which they will release in 2024, that 20 percent of the materials used in the production of their devices come from recycled sources. MacBook Air, one of the laptops that is popular with the public, is the first product to come from 50 percent recycled materials. Due to this innovation, the Apple company took similar steps in other product lines. The iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 currently on the market have a composition of 100 percent recycled cobalt in their batteries (Apple Corporation, 2024).
Samsung Manufacturing Company
Samsung is the largest and most influential technology company in the world. In the beginning, this company focused on local trade and its development to date can be seen that this company has many business lines. Samsung Electronics is a business line that has a big influence on world technological development. Samsung Electronics produces a variety of consumer electronic products, including smartphones, televisions, household appliances, and other electronic components. The company is known for innovation and technology. The Samsung Galaxy series, one of the smartphone lines owned by this company, is a competitor to the iPhone produced by Apple. Apart from being known as a cellphone and electronics manufacturer, Samsung is one of the largest memory chip manufacturers in the world. Samsung is widely known as the provider of components for electronic devices. On Samsung’s official website, this company makes efforts to implement a circular economy in its business processes. Starting from the sourcing process, production distribution, use, and recycling. Samsung aims to extend the life of its products in terms of materials that can be recycled.
There are three approaches taken by Samsung in implementing a circular economy. First, the use of recycled materials. In this approach, Samsung calls for born again with technology. They have a recycled material roadmap whose design can be seen on their official website. In 2022, this company will use 409,000 tons of recycled resin plastic in the production of its products. Samsung is also establishing a Circular Economy Lab in 2022. Second, extending product life. Samsung believes that the longer people use Samsung products, the less resource use will occur in the future. The efforts made by this company include improving the quality of its products. Increasing product durability is one of the selling points of Samsung products. Lastly, collect and recycle electronic waste. Bringing new life to EOL (end-of-life) products. Since 2022, Samsung will run an e-waste collection system in more than 50 cities around the world (Samsung Corp).
Efforts to protect the environment
Large companies should have environmental awareness. As is the case with the two companies above, both have their efforts in protecting the environment. Without reducing the business competition that occurs, both of them continue to strive to innovate in product development. The efforts carried out by Apple and Samsung are a series of research and development processes for environmentally conscious technology products. Of course, this cannot be separated from the business competition that the two have carried out in the last one to two decades. Today’s society already has quite a large awareness of the environment. These two companies must then provide innovation that is in line with the current awareness of world society.
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