Apple, Inc. released information on 229 supply-chain audits of compliance with health, safety and environmental standards, along with the names of its suppliers and manufacturing partners, reports Safety & Health Practitioner. According to Apple’s website, 112 facilities were not handling hazardous chemicals properly; 69 facilities were not recycling or disposing of hazardous waste properly; and 58 facilities were noncompliant for air emissions. Apple ordered corrective actions. More information on the Apple supplier list can be found here.
The Council for Responsible Sports (CRS) has released an updated sustainable sports event standard. CRS Certification is modeled after LEED’s green building rating system with credits earned for waste management, climate impact and other community and lifestyle issues. The new standards are in effect for sporting events this month, including the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials and the 40th Annual Chevron Houston Marathon, the group said.
Recycling facility Surplus Exchange of Kansas City, Mo., has earned its certification to the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment Program, a standard of recognition from the Basel Action Network. The facility processes about 2.2 million pounds of electronics for reuse and recycling per year, the EPA said.
Aluminum producer Alcoa’s Brazilian operations has received gold certification from the Brazil Greenhouse Gas Protocol Program for transparency in reporting and quantifying its emissions inventories in 2010 from third-party Brazilian auditor, the Vanzolini Foundation. Alcoa’s operations in Brazil range from bauxite mining to finished products, the company said.
PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) in Berkeley, Calif., announced that its lab facility has achieved ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for the testing and calibration of solar reference cells. The ISO 17025 is a benchmark for approving technical and quality system competence, the company said.
ARTEMIA Communications is in compliance with three quality management standards: the ISO 9001 quality management, ISO 14001 environmental management, and TL 9000 telecommunications quality management systems. In obtaining ISO 14001, ARTEMIA has committed to a reduced carbon footprint, to purchase sustainably produced and sourced products, and to waste recycling targets, ARTEMIA said.
Biodegradable plastics maker Symphony Environmental Technologies been accredited by the British Standards Institution (BSI) to ISO standard 14001. The company also holds the ISO 9001 accreditation for management quality, Symphony said.
Cement manufacturer Ash Grove Cement Company has earned the ISO 14001 certification its reconstructed Foreman, Ark., facility, to make all eight of its operating clinker manufacturing facilities compliant to the standard, the company said.
Womenetics, an online business platform for female business leaders, has received certification to operate as a B Corporation from nonprofit group B Lab, for meeting standards of social and environmental performance, and making material positive impact on society, Womenetics said.
Texas Instruments has released a new CC2541 Bluetooth low energy system-on-chip (SoC) for its Bluetooth smart sensor applications for consumer medical, sports and fitness, security, entertainment and home automation. The SoC has a 33 percent reduction in power consumption compared to TI’s previous-generation chip, TI said. Also, Epson has introduced a new wide format photo printer, the Stylus Photo 1500W that is Energy Star and RoHS compliant, TechRadar writes.