What is the True Cost of Making an Iphone? The Answer Will Horrify You

People in our luxurious society really think about where our goods are coming from. We only see the sleek, shiny looking boxes that come in the final product. However, it’s a good reminder sometimes to know all the pain and suffering that goes into creating these products.

1. Ever year in China, over 12 million teens leave home to find work. CNN reports 17 million, though their story focuses on farms, not factories.

2. They’re part of 260 million Chinese who must travel far from home just to make a living, CNN reports, citing the China Labour Bulletin.

3. This Fast Company article has a first-person account of days being 8 a.m. to about 9 p.m., not including travel. Global Labour Rights reports long hours and seven-days-a-week work for factory workers. China Labor Watch reports working 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with one day off a month when production is heavy.

4. Benzene causes leukemia. Benzene is a category 1 carcinogen banned in most Western countries for industrial use.

5. The BBC and The Guardian report on n-hexane poisoning.

6. In China, over 200 million people are working in hazardous environments.

What is the True Cost of Making an Iphone? The Answer Will Horrify You