In anticipation of Earth Day (Earth Day), which is celebrated on April 22, Apple today announced a major expansion of its iPhones recycling program in the United States.
Apple is quadrupling the number of locations in the U.S. to which consumers can send iPhones that will then be forwarded to Daisy, robot that is capable of dismantling 200 devices (of 15 different models) per hour. From now on, iPhones delivered to Best Buy stores in the USA and the KPN chain in the Netherlands will also be accepted.
Daisy disassembles and selects specific components of the iPhones used in the recycling process, and it was only in 2018 that Apple was able to recondition it more than 7.8 million devices, helping to reuse more than 48 thousand tons of electronic waste.
THE cobalt, for example, is a very important material in batteries. Apple sends the iPhone batteries removed by Daisy back into its supply chain, which are then combined with other components recovered to make entirely new batteries.
Apple is also using tin 100% recycled in a key component of the main logic boards of 11 different products. In addition, the aluminum alloy of the new MacBooks Air and Macs mini is made from 100% aluminum recycled – as we have already highlighted in that other article.
“Advanced recycling should become an important part of the electronics supply chain, and Apple is leading the way in helping to improve the industry,” he said. Lisa Jackson, vice president of environmental, political and social initiatives at Apple.
“We work hard to design products that consumers can count on for a long time. When the time comes to recycle them, we hope that the convenience and benefit of our programs will encourage people to send us their old devices, ”concluded Jackson.
Material Recovery Lab
Aiming to further expand its recycling capabilities, Apple today also announced the opening of its Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas.
It is a new laboratory – with an area of ​​840m² – totally dedicated to studying and discovering new recycling processes, involving not only robotics, but also machine learning.
The idea is to further improve the disassembly, selection and crushing processes for parts and components used in electronics, as well as proposing new solutions for the entire recycling industry.
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In its press release on recycling programs, Apple also revealed that it now has a chain of more than 5,000 Apple Stores and Authorized Service Centers all around the world.
Recently, as we reported here, Apple launched a new method that optimizes the repair of iPhone screens and allows a much wider range of independent technical assistance to offer this service.
Still on Earth Day, a few days ago we also announced that Apple Watch owners will once again have a challenge to complete on 4/22 that will give them badges and special themed stickers.
