As one of the largest companies in the world, Apple is committed to reducing the waste generated by its range of products. In fact, to aid the organisation on its journey, Apple has created Daisy, the ultimate recycling robot.
In with the old
There are a lot of valuable materials inside old devices that are perfect for making new products, the challenge is that recovering them is extraordinarily complex, and hard to do efficiently. Therefore, Apple has used its passion for innovation to pilot new recycling technologies. Ultimately, Apple aims to make products using only renewable resources or recycled materials. Thus, its ambition is that one day Apple will extract nothing from the earth to create its products.
Meet Daisy
Apple’s newest disassembly robot, Daisy, is the most innovative and efficient way to reclaim more of the valuable materials stored in the iPhone. Daisy can take apart up to 200 iPhone devices an hour, removing and sorting components, so Apple can recover materials that traditional recyclers can’t — and at a higher quality. For example, Daisy makes it possible to recover rare earths, tungsten, and Apple‑specific aluminium alloys. Apple can then use these materials to make new products or return them to the market, reducing the need to mine more resources from the earth.
Packaging for the planet
As part of Apple’s aim to reduce its waste production, the organisation is constantly looking for ways to use more recycled and responsibly sourced paper, as well as create technologies that use paper more efficiently. As a result, in 2017, 100% of the paper in its packaging was from responsibly managed forests, controlled wood, or recycled sources.
This story shows how Apple supports Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, specifically Target 12.5: “By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.”
About Apple
Founded in 1976, Apple is an American, multinational technology company. It designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. The organisation has over 123,000 employees, 500 retail stores, and in 2018, Apple became the world’s first trillion-dollar company.
Learn more about Apple.
