Recently at Apple’s ‘Wanderlust Event’ in Cupertino, California, the tech giant found itself in hot water for serving plastic-wrapped cookies to attendees, despite making grand promises about being environmentally friendly.
The controversy began when a social media user, Nikias Molina, shared a picture of the plastic-wrapped cookies with the label “Welcome to California”. Despite Molina’s lighthearted comment about the cookies being good, the post, shared on September 17, quickly went viral, garnering over 2.7 million views and sparking a heated discussion about the company’s environmental commitment. Many online users viewed this as a significant contradiction to Apple’s recent advertising campaign which highlighted their efforts towards achieving a zero carbon footprint.
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Apple gave us cookies at the event.
They were so good.
🥹 pic.twitter.com/QaUXa9aLc7
— Nikias Molina (@NikiasMolina) September 16, 2023
” data-type=”tweet” align=”center”>
Apple gave us cookies at the event.
They were so good.
🥹 pic.twitter.com/QaUXa9aLc7
— Nikias Molina (@NikiasMolina) September 16, 2023
Although Apple has pledged to remove plastics from their packaging by 2025 and to become carbon-neutral by 2030, this recent event showed a noticeable gap between their promises and actions. The company has previously reported that 20% of materials in their 2022 products were from recycled sources, including elements like aluminum and plastic. However, the cookie incident has led many to question the sincerity of Apple’s environmental pledges, accusing them of greenwashing, a tactic where a company spends more time and money claiming to be “green” through advertising and marketing than actually implementing business practices that minimise environmental impact.
Critics argue that for Apple to foster genuine environmental change, it needs to align its actions consistently with its promises, even in minor details such as event snacks. The recent backlash indicates that Apple may need to reassess its strategies to meet its green goals fully. The incident has been a reminder that even small gestures can have a significant impact on a brand’s reputation, particularly amongst environmentally conscious consumers.
As the discussion continues, all eyes are on Apple to see how it responds to the criticism and whether it can uphold its pledge to promote a greener future. The plastic-wrapped cookie incident serves as a wakeup call for the company to harmonise its environmental rhetoric with its actions, ensuring that every aspect of its operations, no matter how small, reflects its commitment to sustainability. It remains to be seen if Apple can recover from this stumble and truly lead the way in corporate environmental responsibility.
