Apple Spotlights Recycling Efforts in 2022 Environmental Progress Report

[MacRumors]

Apple today published its 2022 Environmental Progress Report, setting out the company's ongoing efforts to reduce its impact on the environment and combat climate change, as well as new details about its increased use of recycled materials.

Apple has introduced certified recycled gold and more than doubled its use of recycled tungsten, rare earth elements, and cobalt. Almost 20 percent of all material in Apple products last year was recycled, which is the company's highest-ever use of recycled content.

The company highlighted that in 2021, 59 percent of the aluminum, 45 percent of the rare earth elements, 30 percent of the tin, and 13 percent of the cobalt Apple shipped in its products came from recycled sources, and plastics accounted for just four percent of packaging. All new iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and Mac models feature 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of their main logic boards, and Apple is using recycled gold in the plating of the main logic board and wire in the front camera and the rear cameras of iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro.

Apple today announced "Taz," a machine that helps to recover materials from recycled electronics, and explained how it seeks to reduce mining by recovering more materials from existing devices.

Taz, a machine that uses new shredder-like technology to separate magnets from audio modules and recover more rare earth elements, is the latest in a series of recycling advancements spearheaded by Apple. The company has also further expanded the capabilities of its patented iPhone disassembly robot Daisy to take apart 23 models of iPhone, and has offered to license those patents to other companies and researchers free of charge. An additional robot, Dave, disassembles Taptic Engines, helping to recover valuable rare earth magnets, tungsten, and steel.

See the full PDF version of Apple's 2022 Environmental Progress Report for more information about the company's work to become carbon neutral across its global supply chain, promote renewable energy, use materials more safely, reduce waste, extend the lifetime of devices with refurbishment, and more.

In addition, Apple shared new ways for customers to celebrate Earth Day, such as finding green spaces in Apple Maps, nature-inspired yoga, meditation, cycling, rowing, and treadmill workouts in Apple Fitness+, as well as new episodes of Time to Run in Yosemite National Park and Time to Walk with Dr. Jane Goodall, and a new augmented reality experience on Snapchat. Apple News, Apple Books, Apple Podcasts, the Apple TV app, and the App Store will feature curated collections of content with opportunities to experience the natural world.

After completing any workout of 30 minutes or more on April 22, all Apple Watch users can earn a limited-edition award, and from today to April 22, Apple will donate $1 to World Wildlife Fund for each purchase made with Apple Pay on apple.com, in the Apple Store app, or at an Apple Store.

Article Link: Apple Spotlights Recycling Efforts in 2022 Environmental Progress Report

 

[contacos]

Is this whole environmental angle something that increases the value of a company or something? The company I work at has been pushing this for a while now as well, even has its own managing director for that now and it is SO annoying. So much to fill out for some reports all the time and it all just feels like something to please the shareholders with

 

[velocityg4]

Is this whole environmental angle something that increases the value of a company or something? The company I work at has been pushing this for a while now as well, even has its own managing director for that now and it is SO annoying. So much to fill out for some reports all the time and it all just feels like something to please the shareholders with

Various Tax Credits, Subsidies and Exemptions
Good PR

Since Apple can actually use the various materials in new devices. I couldn't say if there is any cost benefit or not.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Is this whole environmental angle something that increases the value of a company or something? The company I work at has been pushing this for a while now as well, even has its own managing director for that now and it is SO annoying. So much to fill out for some reports all the time and it all just feels like something to please the shareholders with

How about increasing the value of the planet? Is that not good enough for you? Crazy that everything HAS to be about money.

 

[MacLawyer]

It's nice to see some good news for a change.

 

[MBAir2010]

The Lanisters recycled the Stark's huge sword in to 2
look what happened to them!

as far as Yoga, meditation and other forms of inner-ness, self awareness and devotion,
why would some need an apple watch for this?
isnt that counter-productive or defeating the purpose?
I'd ask TZ Suzuki next time i see him!

 

[contacos]

How about increasing the value of the planet? Is that not good enough for you? Crazy that everything HAS to be about money.

We literally paid thousands for some made up environmental logos to put on our marketing material / website that has no real standards, so anyone could come up with a logo and claim XY while I don’t see much improvements from an actual environmental perspective. We are just throwing around numbers, which sounds cool in the media or at some fairs

Also, why are you getting so defensive? I was just asking a semi-related question and not even talking about Apple. How would you know what my company does / doesn’t do lol

 

[44267547]

I'd ask TZ Suzuki next time i see him!

I think Ted stepped down from what I read, there’s probably other very reliable sources out there besides him.

 

[MBAir2010]

We literally paid thousands for some made up environmental logos to put on our marketing material / website that has no real standards, so anyone could come up with a logo and claim XY while I don’t see much improvements from an actual environmental perspective. We are just throwing around numbers, which sounds cool in the media or at some fairs

Yes,
Our webdesign firm needed confirmation to claim a Jewish deli was "khvat" certified (or a name similar like that)
Not even the tag Kosher would cut it anymore.
and that silly "organic" claim made millions for fake marketing firms.

 

[contacos]

Yes,
Our webdesign firm needed confirmation to claim a Jewish deli was "khvat" certified (or a name similar like that)
Not even the tag Kosher would cut it anymore.
and that silly "organic" claim made millions for fake marketing firms.

Yep. Organic is one of the biggest frauds. My mum always buys „organic“ meat.

I visited over Easter and checked the QR-Code to see where the „free roaming animals „ meat was actually from and 3/4 was from The Netherlands! (I am in Germany) and then only the „pork“ potion was from „free roaming animals“. Nothing said about the cow part in it. Doesn’t sound very environmental to get sliced salami cross country

 

[ThunderSkunk]

It's too bad we can't just have designers and engineers making and selling products directly to each other instead of all this marketing and PR stuff. If it weren't for the customers, the financiers, the suppliers, the insurers, and the regulations and standards, we'd have a great business. If we could just figure out how to rid ourselves of those...

 

[joshuabeg]

This article has nothing to do with your companies trying to manipulate real green standards to appear sustainable. Apple is making actual strides to ensure parts get reused, and that helps the planet.

Trying to figure out how spending millions to build a machine that can recycle old iPhone parts for re-use is PR…

 

[DMG35]

"Sir you will want to buy one of these chargers for your new iPhone. It isn't included any more and the old chargers don't work as well and won't fast charge." - Apple employees with every iPhone I've bought since they stopped including the charger.

 

[ilikewhey]

i would love to hear what they are gonna do about recycling airpods.

 

[Bustycat]

I can totally agree with Apple’s efforts as they can even recycle your very old products for free. Too generous.

 

[friedmud]

"Sir you will want to buy one of these chargers for your new iPhone. It isn't included any more and the old chargers don't work as well and won't fast charge." - Apple employees with every iPhone I've bought since they stopped including the charger.

And? When they say that - you get to say "nah" - I have a drawer full of chargers that are fine and walk out (which is exactly what I did for my last iPhone). Something not possible if it's in the box.

To be on topic: it really is nice to see a company putting so much effort into thinking about how to efficiently utilize our planet's resources. No one is going to claim that there is no environmental impact from Apple - but damn they sure do work at minimizing it more than anyone else in this business.

 

[erikkfi]

AirPods are a crime against the planet. They’re K-Cup pods for your ears. If Apple cares so much about the earth they should immediately stop producing plastic-encapsulated devices with a fixed lifespan and zero repairability.

 

[weckart]

All of this PR puff is just tinkering around the edges. Apple has made its products unupgradable and unrepairable with judicious amounts of glue to thwart any enterprising attempts at righting Apple's wrongs. The recycling equivalent of penny wise and pound foolish.

 

[DMG35]

And? When they say that - you get to say "nah" - I have a drawer full of chargers that are fine and walk out (which is exactly what I did for my last iPhone). Something not possible if it's in the box.

To be on topic: it really is nice to see a company putting so much effort into thinking about how to efficiently utilize our planet's resources. No one is going to claim that there is no environmental impact from Apple - but damn they sure do work at minimizing it more than anyone else in this business.

I just think its hypocritical for them to remove the charger and then try to sell more. I guarantee you their charging brick sales are though the roof.

 

[VictorTango777]

See the full PDF version of Apple's 2022 Environmental Progress Report for more information about the company's work to become carbon neutral across its global supply chain, promote renewable energy, use materials more safely, reduce waste, extend the lifetime of devices with refurbishment, and more.

How about adding Upgradability and Repairability

 

[blacktape242]

now do india and china?

 

[anthogag]

I very much like Apple's environmental progress projects. One day there could be an iPhone made from 100% recycled components.

Is Apple also considering environmental impact of software superfluously increasing Internet traffic?

 

[WWPD]

 

[ikir]

Way to go! Well done, quite impressive achievements

 

[guzhogi]

The article said that 20% of all materials in Apple products are recycled. I wonder how much more they can get if everyone recycled their devices, and how much of the materials go later be reclaimed & recycled?