Top smartphone players commit to tackling illegal tin - except Apple

Top smartphone makers have released statements acknowledging they may be using tin mined illegally or among very poor working conditions on Bangka Island, Indonesia - with one noticeable exception, Apple.

Green pressure group Friends of the Earth has been campaigning for some time now about Bangka Island tin mining which it says destroys tropical forests, kills coral, and wrecks lives in the community. Nokia, Sony, Blackberry, Motorola, Samsung and LG have all made statements on the region, acknowledging possible serious problems in the supply chain.

As is quite typical of early-stage Apple crisis management, it has not said a word.

Manufacturers are committing to "urgent action" to tackle problems in Bangka, leaving Apple by itself among the top brands to make a statement. 24,000 Apple customers are demanding answers.

A Friends of the Earth investigation found that, in 2011, unregulated and dangerous tin mining has lead to an average of one death per week on the island, while there are also "common" reports of child labour in unofficial mines.

Additionally, silt from this tin mining is killing coral reefs and seagrass, FotE claims, driving away fish from the area, a vital local food source. Farmers are also reportedly struggling to grow crops on acidic soil, itself the product of clearing forests for tin mining.

Samsung said in a statement: "We take all of these matters very seriously and have been engaging with Friends of the Earth and the broader electronics industry on this issue for some time. 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."

Samsung and other manufacturers made clear that they do not have direct relationships with suppliers from Bangka Island, but recognise that it is likely tin from the area does find its way into their products - as it is one of the biggest sources for tin on the planet.

Sony said some Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition members, including itself, are holding discussions on starting joint efforts about sustainability, and looking at the impact of Indonesian tin productions, in partnership with the Sustainable Trade Initiative, the International Tin Research Institute and Friends of the Earth.