Rumours are swirling amongst tech bloggers that Apple will stop including chargers and EarPods with new iPhones. Those who track e-waste are hoping that Apple does, in fact, make this move.
Photo: Matthias ZomerAccording to one venture capitalist, MG Siegler, the environmental implications would be lowest on Apple’s list of reasons for the change. More important to the company would be a higher profit margin, reduced shipping costs, and preparing consumers to use a no-port iPhone in the future.
Yet, the environmental implications are huge. According to Steven Yang, the CEO of Anker, an estimated 300,000 tons of e-waste was generated by the in-box chargers that accompanied the 1.5 billion smartphones shipped in 2017.
In the meantime, the question remains of whether Apple will switch the iPhone to a USB-C charger, now the (otherwise) universal charger for consumer electronics. This move would also significantly cut down on e-waste.
Click here to read the full article.
