($AAPL) Apple Inc. defended itself Thursday after under criticism a day earlier from Chinese environmental activists who say its policies about disclosing information on its suppliers may be a way of dodging responsibility on environmental issues, according to reports. A group of nongovernmental organizations said in a report released Wednesday it had found signs of illegal discharge of toxins such as heavy metals in areas around plants in China that are believed to be Apple suppliers, according to the Associated Press. In a response on Thursday, Apple said it was committed to "driving the highest standards of social responsibility" in its supply chain, according to AP. The Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, which is the lead advocacy group behind Wednesday's report, said it raised similar concerns in a report in January to which Apple didn't respond for eight months.