Samsung admits its phones may contain tin from area mined by children

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Samsung admits its phones may contain tin from area mined by children

Kate Hodal
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 25 April 2013 13.39 BST

Mobile phone company Samsung has admitted to using tin sourced from Indonesia's controversial Bangka Island, where an investigation last year by the Guardian and environmental charity Friends of the Earth (FoE) found that unregulated tin mining depends on child labour, wrecks the environment and kills an estimated 150 miners every year.

The admission from the world's best-selling smartphone manufacturer follows intense pressure from FoE and 15,000 concerned consumers who had contacted Samsung, demanding the company investigate the human and environmental costs of its tin sourcing.

In an email sent to the charity and its customers, Samsung said: "While we do not have a direct relationship with tin suppliers from Bangka Island, we do know that some of the tin that we use for manufacturing our products does originate from this area."

It continued: "We are also undertaking a thorough investigation of our supply chain in the region to better understand what is happening, and what part we play."

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Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/25/samsung-tin-mines-indonesia-child-labour

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Every single one of them does

I know because I manage the list for a major wireless carrier and I'm part of a customer (the customers being large retailers that resell the wireless devices) task force to make sure our suppliers/vendors (Apple, Samsung, Moto, RIM, etc. etc.) are meeting the requirements of the Conflict Minerals Resolution of Dodd-Frank.


In this case - I give Samsung kudos for ADMITTING it. Apple is extremely defiant and completely rude/arrogant to people who buy a million of their devices at one time and will never admit it. Ditto RIM.


I'll keep my eyes on Nokia and Motorola to be the next ones to rip the band aid off of this problem we have here.

And kudos to you! The more the END USER CONSUMER gets this out there and has the knowledge of BLOOD PHONES - the easier it is for American Wireless Carriers And/Or Retailers (think Best Buy) to put the screws to our vendors on this issue.

A law has been passed and to date - they are not compliant.

[Union Scribe]

2. Wow

Great info, thank you!

[Poll_Blind]

3. Thanks for chiming in. This jives with what I've read about lithium (?) as well. I know there's...

...at least one other metal for which there basically is no "clean" source and it goes into all kinds of products, especially electronics. I believe lithium was it, but I could be wrong.

PB

[JustAnotherGen]

4. More per Dodd-Frank

Columbite-tantalite - Tantalum is extracted from it. Everything from hearing aids to jet engines to airbags.


Cassiterite - This is the ore that Tin comes from.

Wolframite - Tungsten's source. Your vibrating ring tone is possible because of Tungsten. Also think gold balls and darts.


Last one - Gold. Think . . . everything. It's all over your wireless devices.



None of this is 'company' closed information. Look up Dodd-Frank as part of the Finance Reform of July 2010. They kind of snuck it in there.

So although Dodd had his faults - he worked with sweet pea Barney Frank to get this done. But it's going to take time to try and clean up the supply chain.

Next up after this? We need to all start paying more for new clothing . . . after what just happened in Pakistan. If not - then go to second hand stores for what we need until reform comes.

[Poll_Blind]

5. Great info- thanks! nt

PB

[FarCenter]

6. The cell phones of Rivendell come from the Mines of Moria

People are so clueless about how the economy actually works and how the stuff they buy actually gets produced.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. +1