Cover The various components of an iPhone can be recovered for recycling (Photo: ETX Studio)
The various components of an iPhone can be recovered for recycling (Photo: ETX Studio)
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The American manufacturer also aims to reduce its overall CO2 emissions from production by 75 per cent
Apple has been sharing news and progress on its environmental strategy for some time.
The company announced that it had achieved carbon neutrality in its corporate operations as of 2020. The next step is to achieve carbon neutrality for all its products.
By 2030, all Apple products will be made with clean energy and even more recycled materials. In fact, Apple’s goal is to reduce its overall CO2 emissions from production by 75 per cent (compared to 2015). “We’ve already made progress by cutting emissions across our value chain by over 45 per cent since 2015,” the American company says in its latest Environmental Progress Report.
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Apple will prioritise 14 materials (aluminium, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, lithium, paper, plastic, rare earth elements, steel, tantalum, tin, tungsten and zinc) based on their environmental, human rights and sourcing impacts. Together, they represent nearly 90 per cent of the materials used in Apple products.
The American manufacturer wants to eventually use a maximum of recycled materials in its products, with, for example, a new objective of 100 per cent recycled cobalt in all its batteries by 2025. The same should apply to rare earth elements. Meanwhile, printed circuit boards should have 100 per cent recycled tin solder and gold plating.
In 2022, about 20 per cent of all materials used in Apple products came from recycled or renewable resources. In detail, 95 per cent of the tungsten, 73 per cent of the rare earth elements, 67 per cent of the aluminium, 38 per cent of the tin and 25 per cent of the cobalt in Apple products already come from recycled resources. As for computers, the latest generation MacBook Air benefits from the use of 40 per cent recycled and renewable materials.
To this end, Apple is striving to reduce its dependence on mined materials, while supporting local people to leave the mining sector, develop skills and transition to new jobs.
To carry out this policy, Apple offers several free take-back and recycling services for old devices. The company has also developed a disassembly robot called Daisy, capable of recovering the various components of about 20 iPhone models. There are currently two such robots in the world, each capable of processing up to 200 iPhones per hour.
Finally, for Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, Apple will organise special sessions in some of its Apple Stores, with the aim of encouraging people to take action to protect the planet.
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