Apple just introduced a piece of technology that will likely never be used by any consumer. Instead, it kind of cleans up after them: a robot that breaks down iPhones for recycling. The arrival of Liam—a 29-armed robot –speaks to a big challenge facing tech manufacturers today. Even as they strive to entice consumers to ditch their existing devices for the next new thing, companies must figure out what to do with the growing numbers of devices that are destined for the scrapheap as a result. “We think as much now about the recycling and end of life of products as the design of products itself,” says Apple’s VP of environment, policy and social initiatives.
Other electronics makers take a different recycling approach, designing products that simplify disassembly by replacing glue and screws with parts that snap together, for instance. Some also have reduced the variety of plastics used and avoid mercury and other hazardous materials that can complicate disposal. Samsung designed a 2016 model of its 55-inch curved television for easier disassembly, eliminating 30 of 38 screws, replacing them with snap closures. Now the TVs can be dismantled in less than 10 minutes.
The constant churn of new devices has contributed to an increase in electronic waste, some of which ends up in developing nations where local residents must deal with the health and environmental risks, writes The Wall Street Journal (June 8, 2016). “Many of the environmental problems are made during the design process,” says a U. of Illinois professor. He says a product’s design choices for the types of materials and varieties of components are critical.
Classroom discussion questions:
- Describe the “design for disassembly” model in Supplement 5.
- Why is this issue important to operations managers?