Sustainability Corner: Apple sued for misleading carbon neutrality claims
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Apple has been sued by consumers who claim that three versions of watches are not carbon neutral or environmentally friendly as they previously claimed.
In September of 2023, Apple released the green-tagged Apple Watch Series 9, special edition (SE), and Ultra 2. When they launched the watches, according to US News, they stated that “they would be carbon neutral through a combination of lower emissions and purchases of carbon offsets.”
Recently, however, Apple has been sued by at least seven consumers who claimed that those three versions of the watches are not carbon neutral or environmentally friendly, leading consumers to feel that their statements are false and misleading.
Prior to the lawsuit, Apple claimed that to achieve carbon neutrality, they had to reduce the “overall emissions of the products by 75 [percent] and offset the remaining percentage through “high-quality carbon credits from nature-based projects.” per MSN News.
Apple’s claim of 75 percent is based on their use of “renewable electricity, processes that incorporate recycled materials for at least 30 percent of the components, fiber-based packaging and changes to shipping methods that avoid air transport.” per Trellis News.
On Feb. 26, those seven buyers made a complaint to the US District Court in Northern California, where they stated, per US News, that “they would not have bought their watches or would have paid less had they known the truth.”
The plaintiffs further argue that labeling the watches as carbon neutral was a marketing tactic to get them to pay more for something they were told was better for the environment.
In addition to suing Apple for “violating state consumer protection laws, breaching express and implied warranties, unjust enrichment, and fraud,” the plaintiffs are now receiving compensation for their purchases, according to MSN News.
In a recent public statement, Apple did not discuss the case but seemingly attempted to defend its environmental record, stating, “We are proud of our carbon-neutral products, which are the result of industry-leading innovation in clean energy and low-carbon design. We’ve drastically cut emissions for Apple Watch by over 75 percent, and we are investing significantly in nature-based projects to remove hundreds of thousands of metric tons of carbon from the air. That innovation and progress is important to us and to the planet, which is why we detail our work prominently and transparently for our users,” per Trellis News.
Yet, Apple isn’t the only company that has been sued for ‘greenwashing’— misleading consumers about a company’s environmental impact. According to Trellis News, in early February, the maker of Gore-Tex, a clothing, footwear, and accessories brand that is supposedly waterproof, breathable, and windproof, was sued by consumers due to its labeling of being “environmentally sound,” even though it still uses PFAs.
For those who don’t know, PFAs stand for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, “PFAS are widely used, long-lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time. Because of their widespread use and their persistence in the environment, many PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment.”
Therefore, it has become increasingly important to know how clothing items and accessories are being made before purchasing them. Chemicals such as PFAs have long-lasting environmental impacts, creating damage that is becoming harder to reverse. Greenwashing and marketing tactics are real, and staying informed and educated on which companies are facing lawsuits and if what they are implying about their products is truthful is crucial.