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If you love Apple, you may soon have the option to lease, not buy, the latest iPhone. Similar to the way that subscription services like Amazon Prime or Netflix allow customers to rent products (like movies) and subscribe and quit on a whim, Apple may allow customers to pay a monthly fee for phone rentals. And, some environmentally-minded customers see the Apple leasing model as a way to reduce electronic waste (e-waste) in the long run.
Apple’s lease program could also create a clear path for the brand’s commitment to adopt a circular product model. To date, the brand has announced its plans to create net zero products and move closer towards using 100% recycled materials for their products. Allowing customers to have an easy way to buy and trade in their phones for new products could continue the Apple cycle of new products in a way that doesn’t create more e-waste.
The Impact Of E-Waste
The electronic items that we throw out after we’re done with them are more than simply landfill waste. They are a combination of metals and chemicals that can cause harm to our environment and our health. And, worldwide we discard a lot of these materials. Headphones make it into city waste bins. Old laptops and their chargers are placed out onto curbs. All in all, an estimated 40 million tons of e-waste makes its way into our landfills yearly. Most municipalities don’t have proper recycling equipment and what they do have can leech environmental pollutants like polyaromatic hydrocarbons and dioxins into the atmosphere during the recycling process. Other disposal methods like burning or acid baths leech harmful levels of arsenic, mercury, lead and other toxins and carcinogens into the environment.
Worldwide only 10% of e-waste is recycled. That means that millions of tons of metals from computers, television screens, cell phones and more end up in our landfills or or are incinerated. Yet, as consumers we can be a part of the solution to this e-waste crisis by purchasing mindfully, repairing broken items and recycling through trade-in programs at various retailers.
Apple’s Sustainable Progress
This proposed move towards a circular buying model is the latest in Apple’s attempt to re-examine how they operate to make a better impact on the environment. Similar to other brands, Apple has begun releasing yearly sustainability reports tracking its progress and goals. The 105-page 2021 Environmental Progress Report details the company’s approach to mitigating the impacts of climate change through choices that make a positive impact on the communities affected by the extraction of their resources. Elsewhere the report highlights the changes made to key Apple products to use less energy, use more recycled and plastic-free packaging materials. A few highlights of Apple’s sustainable solutions include:
- iPhone 13 uses 90% less packaging than the iPhone 6s.
- 2.6 million metric tons of mined rock equivalent have been avoided by using recycled content in the iPhone 13.2
- Investments in forest and ecosystem restoration projects in areas like Kenya, Peru and Bolivia to help remove carbon from the atmosphere.
- By 2030 all products will be created using 100% clean energy- solar, wind and other renewables.
- By 2030 all Apple products will be carbon neutral and made with 100% recycled aluminum.
As a leading electronic brand, Apple’s venture into sustainable production and life cycle solutions can prompt worldwide change throughout the industry. More products can be made from recycled materials than virgin metals and customers can see the value of recycling and reducing e-waste than simply placing old electronics out onto the curb.
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