The News Minute| August 18, 2014| 10.00 am ISTGreen activists are happy with Apple, for now. The company has announced that it has banned a pair of toxic chemicals from its production lines in China.China Labor Watch, Greenpeace, Green America were amongst organisations that demanded the ban of these chemicals used in cleaning agents, as factory workers do not have training or protective gear for handling with such toxic substances.Apple has banned two dangerous chemical substances—benzene and n-hexane—often used in cleaning agents. Greenpeace International has welcomes Apple’s move and says, ‘Apple announced a new commitment to tackle hazardous chemicals in its manufacturing supply chain. This included a ban on two dangerous chemical substances – benzene and n-hexane – often used in cleaning agents. This news comes after months of public pressure, including a petition from China Labor Watch and Green America who called on Apple to address concerns about worker safety in its product supply chain. »Greenpeace has also lauded Apple for making public its Regulated Substances Specification (RSS) – a list of restricted substances for suppliers. ‘This represents an important step towards increasing the company's transparency and accountability. While Apple might not be the first company to release a list like this, it is one of the largest to do so, and this move will hopefully set an example for others to follow. Such a list encourages companies to speed-up reducing and eliminating hazardous substances, especially in Global South countries, like China, where regulations tend not to be as stringent as in Europe or North America,’ says Greenpeace