New iPhones to use recycled rare earths, with Apple ready to lead research in recovering the precious elements
- Company says it uses recycled rare earths in its “Taptic Engine”, which lets iPhones mimic physical button click
- Apple is researching how conventional recyclers could recover the elements
Apple’s new iPhones will used recycled rare earth elements in a key component, the company said on Wednesday.
Apple said it will use recycled rare earths in its “Taptic Engine”, a part that lets iPhones mimic a physical button click despite being a flat pane of glass. The part is about one-quarter of the rare earth elements inside the iPhone models.
Rare earths, a group of 17 specialised minerals, have become a flash point in trade tensions between the United States and China. The elements are used in weapons, consumer electronics and other goods.
China dominates the processing of the raw minerals, and has implied through its state-controlled media that it could restrict rare earths sales to the US, just as it did to Japan after a diplomatic dispute in 2010.
Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice-president of environment, policy and social initiatives, said its use of recycled rare earths was “not related” to trade tensions, but could help it maintain a steady supply.
“This is one of those happy coincidences where what is good for the planet is really good for business at the same time,” Jackson said. “One of the things we talk about a lot internally, just in general, is how much more resilient this makes our supply chain.”