PETA declares Apple 2023 Company of the Year

Animal rights organization PETA has declared Apple to be the 2023 Company of the Year, thanks to the iPhone maker's decision to stop offering leather accessories.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been naming winners of it's 2023 awards, praising entities it believes sets an example to others over the environment and animal cruelty issues. For 2023, Apple has been declared the Company of the Year.

In a blog post on Sunday, PETA recognizes Apple for its efforts to eliminate leather from its product lineup and a goal to be carbon neutral by 2023. This is "setting a tremendous example" to other major companies while also meeting consumer demand for more sustainable products, the organization writes.

Apple "will spare countless animals and help mitigate the climate catastrophe," according to PETA. Instead, by offering only leather-free accessories, it is "allowing compassionate consumers to feel good about purchasing animal and eco-friendly products."

PETA also praises Apple's new FineWoven lineup of Apple Watch straps and iPhone cases, which uses lower emissions in production than carbon-intensive leather.

While Apple is shying away from leather, it hasn't stopped accessory makers from using the material.

12 Comments

maasj 13 comments · 2 Years

About 11 months ago

Mission accomplished.

byronl 376 comments · 4 Years

Question: Since leather is a byproduct of the meat industry, does decreasing its use actually decrease emissions?

hammeroftruth 1354 comments · 16 Years

byronl said:

Question: Since leather is a byproduct of the meat industry, does decreasing its use actually decrease emissions?

Possibly, but to be substantial, everyone would have to stop making leather products, not just Apple.

I am not buying this theory of why they discontinued those products since they love to tout what kind of leather went into SJ theater and they are using leather in remodeling some of their corporate offices presently.

jdw 1443 comments · 18 Years

A company is only as good as their products, and I assure you, that case will not win "product of the year."

Imagine Tim Cook having this conversation at Apple...

"Let's make a vastly inferior iPhone case so we can win the praise of PETA."

We can almost do a "LOL" here, but then reality hits. Tim did just that.

nubus 609 comments · 8 Years

An award for replacing a nose-to-tail product supporting farmers with an oil-based synthetic material that doesn’t last? No cookies from Mother Nature to Tim.