Apple's new environmental initiative focuses on China's forests
Apple's been vocal about trying to get its global operations running entirely on renewable energy, but the company is now looking to reduce its impact on paper, wood and similar fibers too. Outlining several environmental initiatives for China, the company announced a multi-year project with the World Wildlife Fund to increase responsibly managed forests. The program will cover up to 1 million acres of forest that provides materials for paper and wood products -- including Apple's own packaging materials. According to the press release, it wants to achieve a "net-zero impact on the world's supply of sustainable virgin fiber".
"Forests, like energy, can be renewable resources," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environmental Initiatives. "We believe we can run on naturally renewable resources and ensure that we protect-and create-as much sustainable working forest as needed to produce the virgin paper in our product packaging."
China is now a very important part of Apple's success: and these new environmental initiatives are three weeks since the company launched its major solar installation in Sichuan Province. Apple says it will generate energy in excess of what's needed to power Apple's corporate offices and retail stores in China. It's teamed up with local power companies for two 20-megawatt solar farms that will generate enough energy for the equivalent of 61,000 Chinese homes.
