If they want "eco progress" they should make their devices repairable.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. *In that priority*
Reduce & Reuse by making it repairable!
Apple accelerates eco progress with highest-ever recycled materials
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Re: Apple accelerates eco progress with highest-ever recycled materials
#52I really appreciate their effort to go towards more recycling, but to me a lot of this is completely moot as long as they don’t provide a stronger incentive to surrender your old devices for recycling. It’s actually really simple to reach $0 trade-in value due to absolutely silly things like a scratched display. Why would I be giving you back my iPhone for free when even glass bottles are $0.5 when recommissioned…
> Why would I be giving you back my iPhone for free As opposed to what? trashing it? You'd rather throw your iPhone in the trash than just hand it to them when you're in the store already?
Resale or sticking it in a drawer "just in case"
Re: Apple accelerates eco progress with highest-ever recycled materials
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Why would I be giving you back my iPhone for free As opposed to what? trashing it? You'd rather throw your iPhone in the trash than just hand it to them when you're in the store already?
Resale or sticking it in a drawer "just in case"
Not throwing it away is a win though.
It's the throwing it away that is the problem.
Not having a phone in the first place is the best for the environment. Failing that, having someone else reuse that phone is best. Only if all else fails is recycling the preferred option.
So of course people are going to concentrate on the problem of people just throwing these things away. And that's for anything. Not just phones.
Re: Apple accelerates eco progress with highest-ever recycled materials
#54Recycling is mostly greenwashing. I mean, it is good, but the order is Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle. Recycling is the last option, when everything else has failed and the thing is heading for the landfill (or worse).
Every device they take for "recycling" is a failure of the first 3 "R"s, especially if it is still working or it is just a dead battery, but is good for their business, so no wonder they insist on recycling.
I really like their work on packaging though. Not just because it reduces the plastic waste produced by Apple, it is not much in the grand scheme of things, but it also sets an example. Apple has always been a trendsetter when it comes to design, and their packaging is given a lot of attention.
Re: Apple accelerates eco progress with highest-ever recycled materials
#55If they want "eco progress" they should make their devices repairable. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. *In that priority* Reduce & Reuse by making it repairable! See: https://www.epa.gov/recycle
Well Reduce is really more "Why do you need this (device/pair of shoes/car/shirt/whatever) in the first place?"
But the Reuse part is definitely served, at least in part, through repair.
Re: Apple accelerates eco progress with highest-ever recycled materials
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
In doing an "everyone knows" assessment, you should analyze iFixit scores over time, which is what reputation is built on, rather than a point in time. Additionally, we're talking about Apple as a whole, not just one product. They've had several Macbooks that had scores of 1/10, and the Airpods received a 0/10. Even a recent iPhone had its score reduced from a 7/10 down to a 4: https://www.ifixit.com/News/82493/we-ar…
Are there tradeoffs to repair-ability? I have machine washed my Airpods multiple times and they still work, and I use them for 3+ years. Seems like a good enough product, based on the alternatives available in the market.
Absolutely. Durability, size, etc.
However if we're going to talk about "eco progress" specifically we do have to talk about repairability. To be fair though, a long lasting product is probably more "green" than any easily repaired one in many circumstances.
Re: Apple accelerates eco progress with highest-ever recycled materials
#57I know this is mostly marketing, but I appreciate the discourse and effort they seems to put into this. Companies are a poor choice for governance/directions to avoid a tragedy of the common anyway, the answers should come from a governmental body, so any unforced effort put on recycling by companies are good.
Re: Apple accelerates eco progress with highest-ever recycled materials
#58Ah, good morning HN. Eager to read all the negativity about something that's on its face positive. XD Good job Apple. Now more to do.
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Re: Apple accelerates eco progress with highest-ever recycled materials
#59How about stop making planned obsolence products? How about not charging outrageous prices when their computers need repair?
Of all the major phone and computer manufacturers Apple is the least guilty of planned obsolescence IMO. Their hardware lasts forever if you take good care of it. And they provide software updates for much longer than anyone else.
Re: Apple accelerates eco progress with highest-ever recycled materials
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
Since they offer the EDU discount they might as well offer a blanket “it boots get $100 off” deal for returned machines. Though the cost of responsibly recycle and dispose of an old computer might make the $0 offer actually a decent one.
If they’re recycling it, what does it matter if it boots? The aluminum is worth nothing? I’m sure there’s bits of gold and other things.
It could be a low bar for "you can't bring in a destroyed remains of a Mac Classic and get the discount" - but actually, allowing that would be a net good for the world, and wouldn't cost more than the (easily gamed) EDU discount anyway.