With the new iPhones, which Apple has presented last week, the group wants to impress above all technically: The battery life has been increased, a new processor provides more power, new cameras to make better photos. But in addition to technology, the presentation was always about environmental protection.
For a couple of years, this issue has been increasingly on the iPhone manufacturer's events. How much the Americans have made it their goal to be considered the Greens among the high-tech companies, can be seen from the fact that the company has set itself the goal in 2017 to produce its products in a closed cycle one day. New gadgets should then be made entirely from recycled or recycled materials from old products.
However, when it comes time to do so, manager Lisa Jackson, responsible for environmental protection at Apple, says: "We have not set a date for this, how fast that will happen depends on when other companies are involved our example, we have created a market for recycled tin, cobalt and rare earths, and as soon as others join in, this market will evolve even faster. "
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Apple phones in the test: These are the new iPhonesThe beginnings of this process are still modest, considering the environmental data on the new iPhones, the new iPad and the new Apple Watch 5, which Apple has released on Wednesday: The iPhone 11 and 11 Pro is listed there that in the so-called Taptic Engine (which generates the vibrations of smartphones) now uses only rare earth from recycling. However, these only make up a quarter of the total number of rare earths used in the devices.
However, according to Apple manager Greg Joswiak, this is also a success: "It's the first time ever that recycled rare earths are used in a smartphone, so we've got a good start, especially considering the impact of their reduction and degradation Production on the environment.
Apple
Aluminum waste from production is melted down and used for new housings
Conversely, the two managers emphasize again and again that due to Apple's size even small changes to the products can have a major impact. For example, the use of recycled tin to braze certain power supplies and boards has reduced the need to mine 34,000 tonnes of tin ore. Because the housings of the current MacBook Air, the new iPad and the new Apple Watch use recycled aluminum, 280,000 tonnes less bauxite, the raw material for aluminum, would have had to be mined.
Old against new
This is only possible because Apple has developed its own recycling robot called Daisy. Currently there are only two of these robots, one in a Texas facility, the other in a recycling bin in the Netherlands. Both specialize in disassembling iPhones. One robot can handle up to 200 Apple smartphones per hour, and each year the two devices create 1.2 million iPhones.
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One of the two daisy robots at work
Getting enough old Apple phones to keep the two robots running is obviously not easy. That's why Apple has been placing more emphasis on its exchange program since the beginning of the year, both in the online shop and in the shops of the company. When exchanging customers give their old Apple phone back and get a credit on the price of a new iPhone. Depending on the model and condition, this can be between 40 and 500 euros for well-preserved old appliances.
On the second-hand market, you usually get more money, but Apple makes it easy for its customers: hand over old equipment, take a new one at a reduced price. Apparently well-received by Apple's comfort-accustomed clientele. The exchange program is "a great success" says Joswiak.
Good for business
That Apple can afford its environmental activities, should also be related to the fact that they cost the company in the end. Jackson says, "It's not easy to work with recycled materials. It's simple math: working with the recycler on such a large scale as we do can offer them competitive prices." That's why it's important that the industry follow Apple's example.
"It is not our goal to make progress in environmental protection expensive, environmental protection should not be a luxury, and it is a necessity that we do it right." In addition, Apple's environmental protection activities should also be good for image. Lisa Jackson puts it this way: "What's good for the planet can be good for business at the same time."