Apple highlights device recycling and trade-in for Earth Day

Building up to Earth Day, Apple is highlighting it's wide device recycling program, how to trade in old iPhones, and how it has eliminated the use of leather in it's products.

Apple has refreshed its trade-in page ahead of Earth Day, prompting users to rummage through their tech stash for things that can be traded in or recycled.

"This Earth Day, let's put your used device to good use. You can trade it in and get credit toward your next purchase," Apple's trade-in page reads. "Or if it's not eligible, we'll recycle it for free."

The page offers a convenient jump-off point for initiating a trade-in. Apple's trade-in program allows users to trade in an iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac or select Android devices for credit toward a new Apple device or an Apple gift card.

Even if your device isn't eligible for trade-in, Apple will recycle it for free. Apple accepts a wide range of items, including Apple devices, batteries, cables, cases, monitors, packaging, and more.

Apple has also uploaded a short video reminding users that its iPhone accessory line no longer uses leather. Apple discontinued the use of leather in its products in 2023, controversially rolling out FineWoven as an alternative instead.

So far, the debut hasn't been great. FineWoven doesn't appear to be a great iPhone case material — but is faring better as an Apple Watch band.

In 2020, Apple announced that it would shoot for total carbon neutrality across all of its business aspects by 2030, 20 years sooner than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change targets are aiming for.

7 Comments

dominikhoffmann 79 comments · 13 Years

About 7 months ago

globby said:

So, uh, what do we use in place of leather? (Plastics) :D

Great point! From an even more removed bird’s-eye view, leather is way more sustainable than plastics. It is much more biodegradable.

Is Apple buying into the vegan philosophy, wholesale? That certainly does not reflect the vast majority of Apple’s customers’ views.

mike1 3436 comments · 10 Years

I will miss the leather case when I upgrade my phone this year. A smart case supplier would replicate Apple's now-discontinued cases and add to their product assortment.

Camera35 5 comments · 2 Years

globby said:

So, uh, what do we use in place of leather? (Plastics) :D

Just gotta love the instant naysayers in the comments sections...pounce first, think later. "Good" job, ha ha

mattinoz 2477 comments · 9 Years

Camera35 said:

globby said:

So, uh, what do we use in place of leather? (Plastics) :D

Just gotta love the instant naysayers in the comments sections...pounce first, think later. "Good" job, ha ha

The problem is that the cows that would have been used to make the leather cases die regardless, as leather is a waste product of meat production*. Sure, a smaller return might mean fewer cows are bred in the long term, but not by much.

So instead of a product that eats literal atmospheric carbon**, you add ground carbon into the system until finewoven is 100% recycled. Let's not forget that finewoven is junk with little to no durability, nor does age well.

It's odd that Apple never addresses the elephant of their product in these Earth reports: raw consumerism. They build devices with good build quality and quality life spans but cut the device off if it can't run the latest feature set, even if Users were happy with the feature set at purchase but would like to stay compatible otherwise***.

Keeping the device in active use is the best outcome, even if the device is highly recycled post-use. With much of brand value tied to the longevity of the products, it should be the first point they make, say with an average fleet age. We have an office of 27inch iMacs great screens could easily work as monitors for new Mseries machine with the bonus of redundant cover. But how long will continuity work once the machines can't run the latest O/S then have to head to recycling for no good reason. * there are plenty of ways to reduce meat consumption, waste and production and still have more than enough leather for cases.
** manufacturing still matters but that is equally true of the replacement.
*** I for one would be happy to pay continued support.

Stabitha_Christie 576 comments · 3 Years

I think I got the one FimeWoven case that isn’t a problem. Going on seven months of use. Certainly has held up better than any Apple silicone case I ever got.