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The EU was putting pressure on cell companies to stop providing those items.
And removing those items does a) help the environment and b) aid the bottom line. Kinda like reusing towels during a multi-day stay in a hotel. They do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Your towel analogy is flawed. This would be like the hotel saying “we aren’t giving you any towels at all but you can pay an extra 30 bucks to have some brought over to your room by a Hummer running on whale oil.”

This is green washing, plain and simple. If they really wanted to save the environment, they’d allow you to opt-in to the headphones and/or charger and they could give you them in minimal, hassle-free packaging (a very tiny recyclable box) for no extra charge. Instead, they’re removing them and charging the same price, while trying to up sell you less environmentally-friendly alternatives.
 
Your towel analogy is flawed. This would be like the hotel saying “we aren’t giving you any towels at all but you can pay an extra 30 bucks to have some brought over to your room by a Hummer running on whale oil.”

This is green washing, plain and simple. If they really wanted to save the environment, they’d allow you to opt-in to the headphones and/or charger and they could give you them in minimal, hassle-free packaging (a very tiny recyclable box) for no extra charge. Instead, they’re removing them and charging the same price, while trying to up sell you less environmentally-friendly alternatives.
They lowered the price actually.
 
I bet Apple could excel at modular sustainable design. They'd be trail blazers if they put their minds to it
The masses don’t want modular.
If they really wanted to save the environment,
If they REALLY wanted to save the environment, they would shut down tomorrow. Producing, transporting and selling millions upon millions of iPhones has an adverse effect on the environment, now matter how you slice it.
 
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