Supplier Responsibility

People come first. In everything we do.

We care deeply about the people who build our products, and the planet we all share. So we hold ourselves and our suppliers to the highest standards to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect. And we share our work openly so others can follow our lead.

View the 2019 Progress Report (PDF)

Our supply chain is global. So is our responsibility.

Apple products are made all over the world. We work with suppliers, from mining to recycling, to verify that our requirements are being met for the people and communities in our supply chain. In 2018, a total of 1,049 supplier assessments were conducted in 45 countries.

  • Mine

  • Smelters and Refiners

  • Components

  • Final Assembly

  • Logistics

  • Retail Stores

  • Recycling

We enforce our policies by assessing and closely partnering with suppliers at every point in our supply chain.

We keep raising our standards. And the industry’s too.

The Apple Supplier Code of Conduct consistently sets the bar high for safe, respectful workplaces and environmental protections. The Code applies to our partners at all levels and must be upheld even when it exceeds local, regional and national laws.

A safe and respectful workplace for everyone.

We require our suppliers to treat their employees with dignity and respect. They must provide fair working hours, a safe workplace and an environment free from discrimination. From day one, they must inform their employees of these rights and guarantee anonymous channels to voice concerns if they arise.

Over 17.3 million people have been trained on their rights since 2007.

Supplier employees are educated on their workplace rights and how to speak up anonymously if they feel those rights are threatened.

The highest requirements for workplace safety.

Suppliers must provide appropriate safety equipment, and protocols and training to manage risks on the job. Our rigorous assessments drive compliance.

We require suppliers to ensure fair working hours.

For more than a decade, Apple has been one of the few companies to closely drive and report on working-hours compliance.

We require suppliers to ensure fair working hours.

In 2018, we verified supplier records for over one million employees on a weekly basis and confirmed 96 per cent compliance with tracked working hours. If falsification of employee working hours is discovered, the violation is escalated to the supplier CEO and the supplier is placed on immediate probation. The supplier’s ethics policy and management systems are then thoroughly reviewed to identify and correct the root causes. Suppliers who are unwilling or unable to comply risk removal from our supply chain.
1M+ supply chain employees’ working hours tracked on a weekly basis in 2018
96% compliance with tracked working hours in 2018

We have zero tolerance for debt-bonded labour.

We prohibit forced labour of any kind, and suppliers must take immediate action or risk removal from our supply chain.

We have zero tolerance for debt-bonded labour.

Forced labour can take many forms, including debt-bonded labour. This occurs when a person is forced to work in exchange for the repayment of a debt or other obligation, such as a recruitment fee for receiving a job in the first place.

In 2008, we made forced labour a core violation of the Supplier Code of Conduct and limited recruitment fees for supplier employees to one month’s wages, a standard above legal requirements.

In 2015, we went even further, mandating that no fees could be charged to supplier employees for recruitment opportunities, even if those fees were within the legal limits of the supplier’s operating country. Now, if bonded labour is discovered, the supplier is required to repay the recruitment fees in full. We also conduct investigatory interviews with employees to ensure that they’re working of their own free will. If suppliers who are found in violation do not implement corrective measures, they risk removal from our supply chain.

In 2018, Apple was awarded the Stop Slavery Award by the Thomson Reuters Foundation for leading the industry in eradicating forced labour.

US$30.9M in recruitment fees repaid to 36,137 employees by suppliers since 2008
US$616K in recruitment fees repaid to 287 supplier employees in 2018

Building opportunities for those who build our products.

We have provided educational programmes to more than 3.6 million supplier employees since 2008. These programmes enable people in our supply chain to acquire new skills and advance their careers, whether that’s learning a new language or earning a degree.

New skills, degrees and pathways to advancement.

Our educational programmes, which span everything from life skills to post-secondary degrees, have helped millions pursue personal and professional growth.

New skills, degrees and pathways to advancement.

Since 2008, the Supplier Employee Education and Development (SEED) programme has provided supplier employees with access to education opportunities. In addition to post-secondary courses, participants can take enrichment courses that range from art to learning a new language to financial planning. And our new vocational certification programmes are allowing more employees to receive certifications in skills like product repair, environmental health and safety engineering, and electrician services.

In 2018, a new certification in assembly-line robotics was added to our vocational programmes. Participants received on-the-job training to equip them with the skills needed to work in the evolving landscape of smart manufacturing. And a significant percentage have already earned advanced robotics positions as a result of completing the certification.

Since the SEED programme began, more than 3.6 million supply chain employees have enrolled.

The language of technology belongs to everyone.

Of those who took our App Development and Swift course in 2018, 68 per cent had little to no coding experience. Now they can build an app.

Educational opportunities deeper in our supply chain.

We continuously challenge ourselves to expand our educational programmes and provide skill-building opportunities to more people, in more parts of our supply chain.

Health education for more supplier employees.

We provide resources and education in nutrition, personal care and maternal health. We will expand these programmes to one million supplier employees by 2020.

Health education for more supplier employees.

In 2018, we reached more than 250,000 supplier employees in China and India with health education. Participants received training on critical topics such as self-examination for early breast cancer detection, nutrition, personal care and maternal health. Through the health programme, participants gain a deeper awareness of their personal well-being and skills to better manage their health.

In India, our participants increased their knowledge of personal nutrition by 60 per cent, and their awareness of early cancer detection by 85 per cent.

Greener factories, greener communities.

Every year we deepen our partnerships with suppliers to protect the planet. Together we’re conserving more energy and water, adopting safer chemicals and eliminating waste through hands-on, collaborative programmes. And as we drive our suppliers towards best practices that go beyond their factories, we openly share what we learn to accelerate our collective positive impact on the planet.

Cleaner water, from the factory to the community.

In 2018, we went beyond water conservation to water stewardship, an effort that benefits the communities where our products are made.

Cleaner water, from the factory to the community.

In addition to conserving water, we are helping suppliers play an active role in improving water quality in their communities. In 2018, one of Apple’s suppliers was the first electronics company in the world to be certified Gold by the Alliance for Water Stewardship.

Through participation in this programme, Apple’s suppliers will become role models and leaders for others to follow.

Michael Spencer
Chair of the international board at the Alliance for Water Stewardship
7.6B litres of water conserved in 2018
39% water reuse rate in 2018

Establishing new norms with safer, greener chemicals.

Apple has set the standard for safer chemical use, and they are sharing their process openly for others to follow.

Alisa Gravitz, CEO, Green America

Establishing new norms with safer, greener chemicals.

Since 2014, we’ve partnered with suppliers to implement an industry-leading chemical management programme that protects the environment and the people who make Apple products. Through our Supplier Code of Conduct and Regulated Substances Specification, our suppliers must meet the highest standards for chemical use. And we require suppliers to prove compliance with our standards by providing test reports from a certified lab.

In addition to restricting potentially harmful chemicals in our suppliers’ operations, we work to drive the use of safer, greener chemicals throughout our supply chain. In 2018, 100 per cent of our final assembly supplier facilities adopted safer, greener cleaners and degreasers.

Partnering to help more suppliers get to zero waste.

All final assembly facilities for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods and HomePod are now UL Zero Waste to Landfill certified.

Going further to combat climate change.

In 2018, our suppliers reduced annualised carbon emissions by more than 466,000 metric tons — equivalent to taking 100,000 cars off the road for a year.

Partnerships drive our progress.

Regular assessments measure supplier performance against the Supplier Code of Conduct and identify opportunities for improvement. Even when suppliers face challenges, our teams work together closely to build capabilities that help them meet our requirements. Suppliers who are unwilling or unable to improve risk removal from our supply chain.

A track record of improvement. Supported by data.

Supplier performance is scored according to a rigorous assessment process that measures how well our standards are being met. In 2018, assessments were conducted at 770 manufacturing facilities, logistics and repair centres, retail stores and contact centres. An additional 279 assessments occurred at smelter- and mine-level sites.

  • 2018 76% High performers
  • 2018 23% Medium performers
  • 2018 1% Low performers
  • 2017 59% High performers
  • 2017 40% Medium performers
  • 2017 1% Low performers
  • 2016 47% High performers
  • 2016 50% Medium performers
  • 2016 3% Low performers
  • 2015 36% High performers
  • 2015 58% Medium performers
  • 2015 6% Low performers
  • 2014 26% High performers
  • 2014 60% Medium performers
  • 2014 14% Low performers

Creating a ripple effect that drives change.

Our commitment to people and the planet doesn’t end at our supply chain. We seek to be an example for others to follow, openly sharing our progress to accelerate industry-wide change. And we’re proud of the global recognition we’ve received for our efforts. But we know our work will never be done, because we believe that if we aren’t finding ways to improve, we aren’t looking hard enough.

Combatting forced labour.

Awarded the 2018 Stop Slavery Award by the Thomson Reuters Foundation

Creating a greener supply chain.

Awarded top ranking by the Corporate Information Transparency Index five years in a row

Driving safer chemicals.

Awarded an A+ rating and ranked first out of 40 retailers by Mind the Store

We believe that business, at its best, serves the public good, empowers people around the world and binds us together as never before.

Tim Cook

Learn more about our work in the full report.

View the 2019 Progress Report (PDF)

Additional Reports

Previous Progress Reports

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