Apple and Belkin Reducing Environmental Impact of Packaging With iPhone 13 Launch

600 tons of plastic film every year that all ends up in a landfill or eventually burned is pollution on a global scale.
Glad someone over there finally did something about that unnecessary practice
 
BELKIN Just announced they have Ultraglass and Invisiglass screen protectors for iPhone 13 Line up
As for Apple eliminating the plastic……. If Apple has found a way to secure the iPhone box without using plastic that’s Great
Hopefully it’s not those peel off plastic tabs which can be put back on after it’s opened
 
Are they still keeping the plastic on the phone screen? How will all the Youtube un-boxers spend the first 2 minutes of their videos if they remove that? lol
 
Yeah that sounds great sustainability with plastic being used on this display of the iPhone but what about when Apple reaches their final everybody happy with design of an iPhone so then all you have to do is just go in and replace parts and keep your same phone unless you break it.
Now that will be a great sustainable iPhone product.
 
Okay, I don’t disagree with you about the cable being bad. I haven’t had good experiences with Apple’s lightning cables. But it isn’t a step back to continue doing what they already were doing. It’s just a step not taken.
So if Apple improved the quality of the included Lightening cable people would not have to get it exchanged either in-store or through mail-in method or purchase a replacement once out of warranty. How is this helping the environmental narrative? Do we know if those damaged cables are 100% recycled or just part of it and the rest is landfill, honest question I don’t know the answer to it. I do know is that once out of warranty or even if under warranty most people just throw it into to rubbish and not recycle it but that is not under Apple’s control, what is though is to provide a durable cable considering people plug and unplug these once a day if not twice or more depending on variable in that case logic would dictate that unlike a power cable for other thing that are not plugged or unplugged frequently is to make these durable to reduce waste on every level; correct.

It’s all part of the equation and omitting it does not mean it’s does not factor in.

Consider how many 3rd party manufacturers exists and how much waste is produced and how the environment is impacted with just one component. I seems that Apple is focusing on easy pickings such as oh the plastic wrapped on the iPhone box or on the iPhone itself. I am pleased that Apple has decided to use a paper based protective covering but it’s not focusing on its own shortcomings or ill-design, material and/or manufacturing process.
 
I don't have the data on that. From a personal standpoint I just have a hard time praising a company for being environmentally conscious while at the same time encouraging people to replace products yearly that clearly don't need replacement. And when I say they need no replacement, I mean they still function as originally intended, and in some cases even better with updates. Having an Apple sanctioned yearly upgrade program is sort of the antithesis of being environmentally forward.

Of course, you do realize that people aren't just throwing their old iPhones in the landfill. They're either re-sold or recycled. So I'm assuming your actual concern here is about the extra packaging and emissions related to producing and distributing new iPhones, correct?

Also, how far do you want to push the "technically don't need replacement" part? There are people still getting by just fine with a 6 series (or maybe even earlier) iPhone, lol!

As a (maybe) apt analogy, this is a bit like reading about the cigarette companies funding cancer research and treatment. Hard to imagine they both care about the people dying of cancer from using their products while continuing to sell these same people (and newer generations) the same products.

Well, I think the benefits of technology like the iPhone vastly outweigh the environmental impact, unlike with cigarettes, which imo have zero benefit to society. So it doesn't seem like any sort of hypocrisy for Apple to keep pumping them out, but reducing the environmental impact while they do so. I mean, I bet with the new packaging, it ends up being the same environmental impact as if they were to cut back to releasing a new iPhone every other year with the old packaging. Maybe even less.
 
I know that. But it doesn’t help the environment when millions of people upgrade their phone every year, and Apple literally has an upgrade program that allows you to upgrade your phone every year.
But at least with that upgrade program, it forces the user to give back the phone to Apple, thus Apple can have a closed circle of recycling. Benefits both to user (new phone every year) and Apple (constant monthly revenue and the user giving the older phone back).
 
Switching iPhones to USB-C port itself would have made world of a difference but they didn’t. Hence we shouldn’t take Apple’s PR fluff seriously.
Sure, if you completely neglect the fact that people would then have to replace all their Lightning cables and accessories.

I suppose the most important thing is to bash Apple though... :rolleyes:
 
...And if the packaging is less than 1% of these items carbon footprint, the meaning of these news is...
MEH...
It’s a meaningless gesture/action while placing the focus on a small thing while not tackling the issue with the greatest impact that you are trying to address but hey it’s a bullet point so yeah to Apple and all of the consumer for picking the feel good (on paper) choice.
 
I know that. But it doesn’t help the environment when millions of people upgrade their phone every year, and Apple literally has an upgrade program that allows you to upgrade your phone every year.
Should Apple shut down for a year? Many consumer electronics are on a yearly upgrade. Companies can still move toward being greener even with yearly upgrades.
 
This is a perfect solution for users who upgrade phones annually and return 6 out of 7 of the same phone for immeasurable “flaws”.

You know what would really cut down on the carbon footprint? Building and packaging more stuff here and not having to fly/ship everything.
 
This is a perfect solution for users who upgrade phones annually and return 6 out of 7 of the same phone for immeasurable “flaws”.

You know what would really cut down on the carbon footprint? Building and packaging more stuff here and not having to fly/ship everything.
This isn’t related to annual upgrades. The way to stop this is restocking fees, which apple , afaik, doesn’t do.
 
Of course, you do realize that people aren't just throwing their old iPhones in the landfill. They're either re-sold or recycled. So I'm assuming your actual concern here is about the extra packaging and emissions related to producing and distributing new iPhones, correct?

Also, how far do you want to push the "technically don't need replacement" part? There are people still getting by just fine with a 6 series (or maybe even earlier) iPhone, lol!



Well, I think the benefits of technology like the iPhone vastly outweigh the environmental impact, unlike with cigarettes, which imo have zero benefit to society. So it doesn't seem like any sort of hypocrisy for Apple to keep pumping them out, but reducing the environmental impact while they do so. I mean, I bet with the new packaging, it ends up being the same environmental impact as if they were to cut back to releasing a new iPhone every other year with the old packaging. Maybe even less.
Collecting, shipping, and recycling are all resource intensive processes. I'm aware that they don't immediately go to a landfill. Unfortunately though, my understanding is that a lot of components, namely the battery, often get replaced on "refurbed" units. That in and of itself is not an environment forward approach, but it is what the consumer expects; I'd be lying if I said I personally didn't expect the same.

As far as "need", in everyone one of my posts so far I've really shown issue with incentivizing yearly upgrades. Again, it's tough to show how much you are environment forward and literally create a program whereby people show up for a new phone yearly. I get that that's business, and it's very smart business. But that's not my contention with the program(s).

Perhaps you didn't like the anaoligy, and that's fine. But the hypocrisy I (apparently poorly) was getting at was again, the yearly upgrade program.
 
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This is a perfect solution for users who upgrade phones annually and return 6 out of 7 of the same phone for immeasurable “flaws”.

You know what would really cut down on the carbon footprint? Building and packaging more stuff here and not having to fly/ship everything.
What works be neat is if Apple provide the option to put a screen protector or include one for a small cost, rubberized the body and ship the device in a cardboard envelope. Remove device and ship back trade-in device. Not sure if the trade-in would like that presently. If no trade-in then either reduce the packaging by returning it to an a Apple Store, reuse it or recycle it.

Too bad those wasteful unboxing videos will loose revenue due to lack of clicks on a particular exercise.
 
Perhaps you didn't like the anaoligy, and that's fine. But the hypocrisy I (apparently poorly) was getting at was again, the yearly upgrade program.

And my point was it isn't hypocrisy. They're simply continuing to produce what they've been producing with a lower environmental impact.

Here's an alternate analogy. If someone enjoyed sweets, but decided they wanted to improve their health, would you say they were hypocritical if they continued to eat sweets but ate smaller portions and/or chose ones with less sugar content? Can they only be "sincere" if they go cold turkey and never eat sweets again?
 
less use of plastic is always better
How much plastic waste is occurring behind the scenes through every step, curious serious question plus who is enforcing this. A commitment is one thing but means nothing for factories without oversight and the means to put on a dog and pony show when Apple officials come for a “surprise” visit.
 
And my point was it isn't hypocrisy. They're simply continuing to produce what they've been producing with a lower environmental impact.

Here's an alternate analogy. If someone enjoyed sweets, but decided they wanted to improve their health, would you say they were hypocritical if they continued to eat sweets but ate smaller portions and/or chose ones with less sugar content? Can they only be "sincere" if they go cold turkey and never eat sweets again?
My issue is incentivizing yearly upgrades, a thing that carriers have also latched into as a means of keeping customers/sales, not simply producing more product. Unfortunately I'm not Really sure how I can be clearer on that matter.
 
How much plastic waste is occurring behind the scenes through every step, curious serious question plus who is enforcing this. A commitment is one thing but means nothing for factories without oversight and the means to put on a dog and pony show when Apple officials come for a “surprise” visit.
I doubt that whatever plastic waste is produced "behind the scenes" is going to increase as a result of this change though. So, it's fair to conclude, whatever plastic is removed from packaging is 100% saved from becoming waste.

Unless I'm misunderstanding I don't think this is a commitment to not use plastic in any means in stores, shipping, production, etc. Its all about packaging.
 
I doubt that whatever plastic waste is produced "behind the scenes" is going to increase as a result of this change though. So, it's fair to conclude, whatever plastic is removed from packaging is 100% saved from becoming waste.

Unless I'm misunderstanding I don't think this is a commitment to not use plastic in any means in stores, shipping, production, etc. Its all about packaging.
Does the plastic packing from various component shipped to the assembler factory not a bigger concern similar to the plastic wrapped around each shipping pallet. 🤔
 
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