Five ways Apple is taking care of the environment and reducing its carbon footprint
Apple is one of the most environmentally conscious electronics companies in the world. Moreover, it has no intention of letting up in its efforts to improve planet Earth, as it reminded the world today through a press release on its environmental progress.
Apple is one of the few tech companies that has made a huge effort recently to be environmentally friendly and as carbon neutral as possible. As early as 2020, Apple has been boasting about being carbon neutral, and the goal for the future, specifically by 2030, is for all Apple products to be carbon neutral. In this article, let’s look at five ways Apple is taking care of the environment and reducing its carbon footprint.
Using renewable resources and materials
Using renewable resources and materials is the alpha and omega of reducing your carbon footprint. Unlike other companies, Apple doesn’t scrap old devices but instead has them completely dismantled and then recycled through special programs to create clean materials that can be used to make new devices.
Specifically, Apple uses 100% recycled tungsten in the Taptic Engine, produces products with virtually zero waste, uses no plastic film on the packaging, uses 100% recycled aluminum for device bodies, 100% recycled gold, tin, and other precious elements, antenna strips are made from recycled plastic bottles, and much more.
Working with clean energy
Apple states that 70% of its carbon footprint is created in the manufacturing of devices. Gradually, the apple company is trying to make the entire supply chain switch to so-called clean energy, which is generated by water, wind, or sun. Since 2015, Apple has had a special program to help manufacturers switch to clean and renewable energy.
In 2021, the supply chain produced 18.3 million megawatt-hours of clean energy, significantly reducing its carbon footprint. Specifically, these measures resulted in up to 14 million fewer tons of carbon. Currently, up to 213 of Apple’s suppliers use 100% clean energy, and Apple aims to make its supply chain 100% carbon neutral by 2030.
Packing iPhones without charging adapters
A few years ago, Apple made a truly controversial decision. Specifically, it stopped including charging adapters in the packaging of Apple phones. The reasoning was that the lack of charging adapters could make the boxes in which iPhones are packed smaller. This makes it possible to transport many more Apple phones at once.
In addition, Apple has stated that most users already have a charging adapter at home, so there is no need to add more charging adapters to the environment. You can buy a charging adapter for your Apple phone if you want. Thanks to this, the prices of apple phones have been able to stay virtually the same for a long time.
Devices use less power
Generally, in smartphones, computers, and other devices, the more power you want, the more power you need. And it’s still true, that is, outside of Apple, which has shown that it can be done differently. Specifically, Apple reports that the electricity users use to charge their Apple devices accounts for up to 22% of its carbon footprint. This means that the Californian giant needs to ensure that its devices use as little energy as possible.
It’s certainly succeeding, with Apple computers, for example, using Apple Silicon chips that can deliver huge power while maintaining efficiency. For example, the Mac mini with M1 uses up to 60% less power than its previous generation with an Intel processor. This is also true for other devices with Apple’s chips.
Returning devices and getting your money back
Every company that produces equipment simply must have its recycling program. Of course, this is nothing special, but the problem is more about what these recycling programs are. Apple has mastered it to a tee, offering individuals the option of simply returning an old device with the understanding that they can then receive credit towards the purchase of a new device.
This is a win-win situation — the user gets their money back. Apple then recycles the old device and uses it to make use of the new device, thus reducing costs, but more importantly, it reduces the need to mine new materials, reducing the carbon footprint.
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Reference: https://www.apple.com/environment/
