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| Apple is recycling iPhone with Daisy Mechanism |
Apple Corps is trying to change the way electronic devices are recycled by disassembling robots from the iPhone so that metals can be recycled and reused. At the same time, the increasing global demand for electronics is taken into account, which means that there are always new mines required.
The American company says the robots are part of its plan to become a closed product that is not dependent on the mining industry. Some analysts consider this a difficult target.
Many leading mining companies indicate that Apple needs modern minerals on a larger scale due to the popularity of electric cars. "We are not necessarily in competition with players in the mining industry," said Lisa Jackson, director of the environmental, political and social company. She added, "Miners are not afraid of this development."
An Apple Daisy robot at a warehouse in Austin, Texas, is cracking an old iPhone to recover 14 minerals, including lithium, for recycling. Apple has used tin, cobalt and rare earth extracted from some of its products and plans to add more minerals to this list. Last month, the company purchased the first carbonless commercial aluminum from a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Alcoa.
The 18-meter (Daisy) robot removed the iPhone battery at 80 ° C in four steps at the time of the explosion, and then removed nails and phone parts, including the parts that made the phone vibrate. These components are then sent to the recycling company for mining and polishing. Daisy can erase 200 iPhs per hour. Jackson said: Apple decided to make the iPhone the first product that demolished Daisy because of its popularity.
Apple plans to share Daisy technology with other companies, including electric car manufacturers. However, many question the use of daisies because many of them want Apple to focus on providing repairable products, not just recycling. "Having this confidence makes them think that they are able to recycle all the minerals, and this is not possible," said Kyle Waynes, IFixit CEO. He called for the promotion of electronic reforms rather than replacement. This may partly explain why you don't focus on mining.