Apple plans to make iPhones and MacBooks from recycled materials.
Apple, as one of the most famous electrical device company around the world, brings new design (however the new design no longer has really revolutionary innovation in the recent year) as well as incredibly high price every year, and many people are really crazy about their products. It is nice to see that this leading technology company is also a leader in sustainable manufacture.
In the article, it is indicated that Apple contributes its effort to environment as well as the society in many ways: for instance, they noticed the problem in Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than half of the worldwide supply is produced, however it is reported that mineral is mined by hand and even child miners are involved in the production process, which is quite against the human rights as the it contains high workload as well as child labor. Because of that, technology giants like Apple and Tesla are among companies refusing to those “unethical cobalt” in their batteries. Now, Apple says it has stopped buying cobalt from artisanal mines and requires the cooperated cobalt company to verify the individual artisanal mines according to Apple’s standards, and continues to cooperate with local Congolese groups to improve the working environment and stop child labor.
On the other hand, recycled material is used behind the delicate package of each Apple device, on the official website of Apple as well as its annual report, it indicated that they are sourcing virgin paper responsibly and make the iPhone 7 boxes from responsibly managed paper, bamboo and waste sugarcane.
In addition, in the 2017 Progress Report, it also indicated that the new Apple Park in Cupertino is the largest LEED certified building in North America and 95% of the material from demolished buildings at the site was recycled or reused for the new Apple campus. Also, it is indicated that the windows, insulation, shading and rooting materials of the building is carefully selected in order to reduce heating and air-conditioning loads.