In a recent conversation about Apple’s dedication to sustainability, CEO Tim Cook referenced the possibility of a new distinction for products in the Apple Store regarding a product’s sustainability. “That is something we’re talking about,” he said. “I don’t want to pre-announce it.” If by chance it were real, it’d be an example of the tech company using its considerable might to actively push other companies in its orbit to take sustainability as seriously as Apple does. Cook was speaking to GQ ahead of accepting an award from Ceres, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable energy.
Handing your phone back to Apple has been an option for some time, but recently Apple’s ramped up the push. Go ahead and scout out the new iPhone—in the process, Apple will entice you with a respectable payout for your old phone. Cook wants people to think about their phones like their cars: When you’re done with one, move it on to someone who can make use of it.
“This year we’ve really moved the dial on getting the consumer to think about trade-in,” he said. “We were up to a third or more of the people that come into our stores that are trading in, and this number is trending up. So I think that’s a positive sign.”
MacDailyNews Take: Of course, you’ll need a new iPhone to replace the one you just traded-in, so it’s a win-win for everyone!
In May, Apple promoted the company’s “Apple Trade In” program in a video:
You’ve done great things with your iPhone, but at some point, you’ll be ready for something new. You can easily trade it in with Apple so it can be refurbished and put back into the world so someone new can do their own great things with it.
But if your device is at the very end of its life, materials inside will be recovered and recycled. Either way, you can continue to do what you love while respecting the planet.
