Every year, Apple regularly releases its Environmental Responsibility Report in order to let everybody know how it is doing its part to help Mother Earth. But this year, as it celebrates the decade long existence (and massive popularity) of one of its most successful products, the iPhone, it has taken the opportunity to publish an environmental report specifically for one of its new flagship offerings, the iPhone X.
In terms of scope, the environmental report for the iPhone X is four pages long, and covers topics such as the types of materials utilized in manufacturing the device itself and of its packaging, the level of greenhouse gas emissions during the production, and of course, the subject of recycling.
With regards to the materials used, this year’s report also made sure to summarize key points that illustrate how environmentally friendly the iPhone X is. These are:
On the subject of greenhouse gas emissions, the report indicates that over the whole life cycle of the iPhone X, its total greenhouse gas emissions are estimated at 79kg CO2e. That can be broken down into 80 percent during manufacturing, 17 percent in actual use, 2 percent in transport, and 1 percent in recycling.
Apart from its objective of generating all of its own energy from renewable sources, the iPhone maker also took the time to start a Supplier Clean Energy program, the aim of which is to urge its supply chain to go for renewable sources, too. Moreover, Apple also encourages its supplier partners to create their own zero waste program.
Mobile devices have phenomenally grown in popularity in the last decade or so, and while this trend has allowed people all over the world to be more connected to each other, there are many who are voicing their concerns over the mobile industry’s impact on the environment. According to a recent Greenpeace report, there have been more than 7 billion units of smartphone devices produced since 2007. 7 billion is more than enough for every person living in the planet, but year after year, phone makers continue to produce millions of new handsets. And because consumers generally purchase a new device every couple of years or so, the old devices that are recycled often end up going to landfills.
