Apple upgraded its Daisy robot last year to disassemble 23 different iPhone models, compared to 15. | Courtesy of Apple
Apple added to its recycling technology in 2021, upgrading some robots and launching a machine that can recover rare earth magnets that are usually destroyed in the shredding process.
The technology giant has developed a shredder-like machine called the Taz, which extracts rare earth magnets from audio modules. The technology was developed in conjunction with a pilot industrial shredder at Apple’s materials recovery laboratory in Austin, Texas.
“While rare earth magnets are typically lost in these conventional shredders, Taz is designed to keep these valuable materials intact to improve our overall recovery rate,” according to the company’s 2022 environmental progress report released this week.
The robot that disassembled the iPhone, called Daisy, has been upgraded to now disassemble 23 iPhone models out of 15. And the Dave robot disassembles taptic motors to recover rare earth magnets, tungsten and reusable steel.
Apple is also working on more semi-automated tools, such as 3D-printed tools to improve battery recovery and a custom module for disassembling AirPods charging boxes.
In addition to technological improvements, the company says it has supported the recycling of more than 38,000 metric tons of electronic scrap worldwide in 2021.
Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, said in a press release that Apple was “making real progress in tackling the climate crisis and one day making its products without taking anything from the earth.”
“Our rapid pace of innovation is already helping our teams use today’s products to build tomorrow’s, and as our global supply chain shifts to clean energy, we are charting a path for other companies to follow,” she said.
Recycled content
According to the report, in 2021 Apple introduced third-party certified recycled gold, relying on the ISO 14021 standard for environmental labels and declarations. It also more than doubled the use of recycled tungsten, rare earth elements and cobalt. In total, 45% of the rare earth elements used are certified as recycled.
Although the products had an average of 20% recycled content, Apple increased the use of recycled aluminum, in particular, to 59%. Many products, such as the iPad, Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch SE, MacBook Air, Mac mini, and the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, had 100% recycled aluminum cases.
The report says the company uses its own aluminum production scrap, and now aluminum after consuming construction and construction scrap.
And 30% of the tin used by Apple in 2021 was certified as recycled, with the new iPhone, iPad, AirPods and Mac containing 100% recycled tin in the solder of the main logic boards.
“Recovering more materials for future use helps reduce yields,” the statement said. “From just one metric ton of iPhone components disassembled by Apple’s recycling robots, recycling companies can recover the amount of gold and copper that companies typically extract from 2,000 metric tons of rock extracted.”
Ultimately, Apple’s goal is to use only renewable or recyclable materials in its products. However, the report says the lack of easily accessible options is an obstacle.
“Apple’s teams are doing the work needed to make this transition – finding sources of recycled and renewable content, building new supply chains and increasing the transparency and traceability of the industry,” the report said. “Some of the barriers we face are within our control, but others are beyond Apple’s direct control and require collective action.”
Repair policy
After shareholder and public pressure, Apple also began expanding its repair capabilities. It has nearly doubled the number of service stations with access to OEM parts, tools and training in the last three years, the report said.
This includes 500 Apple Store locations, 5,000 authorized Apple service providers, 3,000 independent repair providers, mail repair centers and, starting in 2022, self-service repairs.
Apple is also making it easier to open devices and make repairs, the report said. iPhone now has more removable modules, and iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 may have replaced displays, batteries, cameras, speakers and tactile elements. MacBook Air 2018 and later models have stretch glue, which allows easier battery replacement.
The company is also focusing on reuse and design for product durability, she notes. In 2021, Apple sent 12.2 million devices and accessories to new owners for reuse, the report said, “extending their lives and reducing the need for future digging.”
“We believe that durable products are best for the environment,” the report said. “We also believe that products that minimize the need for repair or replacement encourage our customers to return to Apple. We design our products for this purpose. “
Add Comment