Wired
US media Bloomberg reports that about 100,000 iPhones and other devices collected by Apple for recycling were stolen by recycling companies and diverted to China. On the other hand, some people criticize Apple for shredding and recycling products that can still be used.
Approximately 100,000 iPhones that were supposed to be recycled ended up in China
Apple had contracted with Canadian recycling company GEEP to recycle collected iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other products.
In the years following the agreement with GEEP, Apple delivered over 530,000 iPhones, approximately 25,000 iPads, and approximately 19,000 Apple Watches to GEEP.
Apple had a contract with GEEP to shred all used products it handed over to them without leaving anything behind.
However, a surprise inspection conducted in 2017 revealed that at least 99,975 usable iPhones had been shipped to China without being shredded, where they were reactivated to new users.
Apple sues GEEP, but will it lapse naturally if left unattended?
Apple sued GEEP in January 2020 for breach of contract.
However, since Apple has not filed a complaint since the lawsuit was filed, the lawsuit is expected to expire naturally in January 2025.
GEEP has also sued a former employee who was involved in the theft, but there has been no movement in this lawsuit, and it seems likely that the license will automatically expire in August 2025.
Rumor has it that Apple’s lawsuit against GEEP was a deterrent to prevent similar incidents from occurring with recycling partners other than GEEP.
Criticism of shredding products that can still be used
Apple has also been criticized for shredding products that can still be used and recycling them as materials.
In the case of the iPhone, 80% of the carbon footprint is emitted during manufacturing, so some point out that using the same product for a long time has a lower environmental impact than recycling it at the material level.
Even though Apple has declared that it aims to achieve 100% carbon neutrality in its product lifecycle by 2030, there have been criticisms that it is not environmentally friendly to shred products that are still usable. Masu.
It seems that it is not uncommon for companies to shred products that can still be used for purposes such as inventory adjustment. This may be a structural problem in the industry, where high profits are earned by selling new products.
Bloomberg also featured a former employee of a recycling company who recalled seeing many still-usable products being shredded, such as Bose headphones and Microsoft tablets, saying, “I don’t think it’s insane to shred something that can still be used.” I am.
Apple products last longer and are easier to repair
In response to this criticism, an Apple spokesperson said that recycling technology has advanced significantly over the past few years, and the lifespan of Apple products is increasing, with many products being used by multiple users, and ultimately ending their lifespan. We explain that resources are recovered through appropriate recycling for products that have reached the end of their life.
In 2018, Apple introduced Daisy, a robot that can disassemble 200 iPhones per hour and separate and recycle the parts.
Recently, Apple has been increasing the number of products that are designed to be easier to repair. The iPhone 14 adopted an easy-to-repair structure, surprising iFixit, which has criticized the difficulty of repairing Apple products.
On April 11, local time, Apple made major changes to its repair terms, making it easier to use repair parts for iPhones.
Source: Bloomberg
Photo: Apple
Source: iPhone Mania