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A heavily polluted river. (Sound of Hope Network)
Heavy metal pollution from the manufacture of computer products from well-known companies is contributing to severe environmental pollution, according to a report by 34 environmental organizations in China.
The document, 2010 Investigative Report on Heavy Metal Pollution Incurred by Suppliers of Renowned IT Brands, was released on May 26. The report underscores the Chinese regime’s failure to adequately monitor the situation.
The environment groups found that in areas like the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta, major manufacturing hubs, companies producing printed circuit boards were contributing to serious heavy metal pollution in local rivers, soil and coastal waters.
Printed circuit boards are an essential electronic component for IT products. The production process discharges waste metals, including lead, copper, nickel, chromium, as well as others.
Many other industries in China also discharge waste from heavy metals, including those associated with mining, metal smelting, chemical engineering, printing, dyeing, leather processing, pesticides, and fodder.
Environmental expert Mr. Li Li from Enviro-Friends Science and Technology Research Center said that the world’s leading IT brands have all adopted strategies for production outsourcing, and their electronic components often come from suppliers in China.
These IT enterprises obtain large amounts of low-cost products, while leaving the pollution behind. Local government tends to ignore the problem, preoccupied with pursuing GDP growth without regard for environmental costs.
Li explained further that many common parts for IT companies produce serious pollutants during the production process. Because large enterprises have a demand for parts, many small firms popped up to meet their needs. Li emphasized that “[the pollutants] are also the large enterprises’ social responsibility, if those small firms contribute to pollution, no matter how good their products are.”
Mr. Zhang of Greenpeace said that many companies that pollute are suppliers for well-known corporations, yet many corporations have ignored the report.
He said that although these multinational companies all release their environmental-related data in accordance with the laws of their corresponding countries, they fail to do so in China.
