Apple's environmental initiatives for the iPad Pro - what's new?
The Newzik application is being used by more and more musiciansschools and orchestras to read their digital scores on iPads.
Our team is strongly committed to environmental issues and closely follows Apple's statements to raise awareness and advise our users on the best practices to adopt.
After publishing our in-depth article on the iPad's our in-depth article on the environmental impact of the iPad in 2020we thought it necessary to provide an update based on Apple's latest reports.
First of all, it's important to recognize that Apple's long-term goals described in the Apple Environmental Progress Report 2022 are very explicit and ambitious.
One of their major objectives this year is to "achieve carbon neutrality for their entire carbon footprint by 2030".
Let's focus on the iPad and summarize the main developments outlined in iPad environmental report.
Reuse of rare materials
Apple claims to be focusing on the materials used to manufacture the iPad, with the aim of preserving important resources and eventually using only recycled or renewable materials in its products.
"We're using 100% recycled rare earths in the speaker and case magnets, which accounts for 98% of the device's total rare earths - a first for the iPad."
Employee training
The company is keen to share the values of respect for the environment, which have come to the fore recently, with its employees and suppliers. It therefore offers training courses to help employees understand these new issues and how to integrate them into their daily lives, both at home and at work.
Disposal of plastic in packaging
Apple's aim is not only to reduce the packaging of its products over the long term, but above all to eliminate plastic once and for all and increase the percentage of recycled products.
"96% of packaging is fiber-based, thanks to our work to use less plastic in packaging."
Recycling program
Apple has become aware of the strong negative impact of the production of its devices on a global scale, and is now seeking to reduce it. In addition to the efforts made from the collection of raw materials through to the final sale, Apple also offers consumers the opportunity to bring back to the store devices they no longer use. The aim of this approach is to reduce waste by giving used devices a second life.
Our viewpoint
This type of report shows Apple's willingness to honor its long-term commitments. For the first time, we have clear transparency on the carbon emissions of the iPad Pro (12.9") over its lifecycle: 80% from production, 10% from transport, 9% from end-user use, and less than 1% from end-of-life treatment.
Over the past 10 years, Apple has significantly improved the impact of its carbon footprint, working conditions and use of scarce resources by taking concrete action and developing innovative solutions. The most recent example is the launch of two robots called "Daisy" which have been developed specifically to dismantle iPhones and recycle up to 2.4 million of them per year.
One small snag, however, is the opacity of the shipping route, which wasn't explained as clearly as other topics. In addition, the lifespan of an iPad is not really detailed either, and a question remains open concerning iOS updates and programmed obsolescence.
Conclusion
Despite all the real and significant efforts made by the company, we play a central role as consumers, and we need to be aware of this. Since 80% of our carbon footprint comes from the production of new appliances, it's our responsibility to consume more responsibly, by keeping and using our appliances as long as possible to reduce the overall production rate.
Apple won't do it, and we can't blame them, as it would clearly be incompatible with the nature of their business.