To celebrate Earth Day and the numerous efforts to keep Earth clean, Apple created a new robot which will contribute further to the recycling movement has adhered to. Apple Robot Daisy. (Image via Apple)
Global warming, a subject that is rejected by some people as being a hoax, is a term used to talk about the fact that Earth is becoming a warmer planet every moment. While there are many causes for the continuous rise in temperature, some like the use and disposal of electronics are easier to control. A simple method would be to use our electronics (cellphones, tablets, …) for a longer period instead of chasing after their new versions. However, the world seems already hooked on electronics, and the manufacturing companies keep nurturing the addiction. One of such companies is Apple Inc. which is also accused of using conflict minerals in its products.
Conflict minerals are minerals whose trade funds wars or situations resulting in the violation of human rights in some parts of the globe. The use of conflict minerals by any US company was a big enough concern for former President Obama to sign, in 2010, the Dodd-Frank Consumer Protection Act into law which has a section that requires companies to disclose the source of the minerals they use in their products. In the same spirit, Apple Inc. also launched a program to recycle and reuse the minerals that composed the iPhones
The first step of the program was the birth of “Liam,” a robot that takes apart used phones and separates the pieces that will be reused. For example, the mineral tungsten found in the phones will become a cutting device. The silver Liam will salvage from the phones could serve in making solar panels to make Apple a sustainably powered company. To reach that goal, the company needed the contribution of customers. Thus, the GiveBack program was born.
It is estimated that Apple has 1 billion iPhone on the market, in use or on the shelves; and many more in factories. In other words, without recycling and reusing, every time there is a new generation of phones, there is also a lot of waste created. The GiveBack program allows customers to return their used phones for recycling and for every phone returned online or at a store by April 30, 2018, Apple will give away money to the Conservation International as a contribution to the non-profit’s efforts to protect the environment. To further its commitment to “greener” company and Earth, Apple invented Daisy, an improved version of Liam.
Apple dreams of running its operations using renewable energy; not just to reduce the company’s carbon footprint, but also to balance the resources they are taking from the planet through the minerals they use in making the iPhones. Involving the customers in the vision enables Apple to first strengthen its community of users, then show its customers a simple way they could make a difference. With Daisy’s speed of 200 iPhones disassembled every hour, Apple is sure to reuse more material than it would with Liam; therefore, saving money on purchasing new materials. In essence, the robot Daisy is a recycled version of the first robot Liam; proving once again Apple’s commitment to the recycling movement.
With the materials, the company collected already from the used devices, Apple opened a new headquarter in Cupertino which is powered solely by “clean” energy. The new headquarter even has a system to return to the grid the excess energy, the buildings didn’t use. Furthermore, Apple is also able to fully power its establishments in forty-three countries with clean energy. Even though Apple is not the only technology company making an effort to give back to the planet, its achievements did inspire many of its manufacturing partners to commit to the program by joining forces with Apple.
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