The Environmental Impact of the iPhone 7

by Kerry Morrison

Guest Post by Kerry Morrison, CPO at Demac Media and tech lover.

The new iPhone 7 arrives September 16th and the reviews, like this one from The Verge  and this one from ArsTechnica make it sound like another great update...but how well is Apple faring when it comes to the environmental impact of the new device?

Pretty good it turns out.

Apple's commitment to renewable energy and decreasing their overall environmental impact has been a major focus of the Tim Cook era and the iPhone 7 continues this trend with production, packaging and recyclability.


Some quick highlights:

 

  • The iPhone 7 through production and transport emits 17% less greenhouse gases than the iPhone 6s and 60% less than the iPhone 6.

 

  • The packaging for the iPhone 7 contains 84% less plastic than previous generation iPhone packaging and contains 60% recycled content primarily from sustainably managed forests, bamboo and waste sugarcane.

 

  • The phone itself is made from highly recyclable aluminum, the antenna inside the phone from 35% recycled material and the frame of the display from a material that is 28% bio-based material.

 

  •  The following items have become mainstays across the iPhone line; arsenic free glass, mercury free LED displays, PVC free, Beryllium free and Brominated flame retardent-free...significantly less harmful chemicals than others in the industry.


I don't think anyone is kidding themselves to think that a device like the iPhone doesn't have an environmental impact. It is however good to know that inside the phone, the packaging and during the manufacturing process that Apple is making these strides to minimize the impact on our planet.

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As for Pela, we are still committed to making eco-friendly iPhone cases as an alternative to traditional plastic cases. Our current iPhone 7 molds are being finalized this month and we can expect production to start early October and shipment of our new iPhone 7 cases to begin shipping late October with the iPhone 7 Plus case to follow closer to the new year. 

You can jump ahead of the line and save $10 when you pre-order our eco-friendly iPhone 7 cases. Available in Black, White, Green, Red, Lavender and Blue. Click HERE to pre-order and we will ship on the first day the cases are available.

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