Apple's New iPad Is Not Very Recyclable

Sims Recycling Solutions, the world’s largest electrical and electronics recovery and recycling company, says the new Apple iPad is not a friend of the environment.

Sims Recycling is the world's largest electronics recycling company, handling over 475,000 tonnes of e-waste annually in over 50 locations worldwide.

The company offers repair, refurbishment and recycling services for electronic and electrical goods. They handle everything from desktop computers, laptops, and televisions, to monitors and mobile devices.

They’re also good pals with the people at iFixit, a technically savvy bunch who’ve just recently torn down the latest Apple iPad.

They make it their job to fix things like the elusive tablet PC so, naturally, they had to peek inside. They actually flew over to Australia to be one of the first group of people to grab one.

Once their teardown was complete (which we covered earlier today), iFixit posted their findings on their web site.

They had found that “Apple physically increased the size of each battery cell by about 70%, explaining the big jump from 25 to 42 watt-hours.”

The extra power is needed to handle the increased RAM memory, LTE networking and, most importantly, the A5X chip that outputs quad-core graphics on a 3.1 million pixel matrix.

Speaking of its recyclability, the team at iFixit added:

“Apple claims the new iPad is environmentally friendly with a ‘Recyclable aluminum and glass enclosure’. The materials may be recyclable, but the assembled unit is not.”

“We spoke yesterday with Steve Skurnac, president of SIMS Recycling Solutions—one of the largest electronics recyclers in the world. He told us, ‘Sealed units make it difficult to remove the batteries. From a recycler's point of view, the hazardous components like batteries need to be easily separated or removed.’”

It appears that Apple may once again lose a point or two on the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics this year.

Posted in: News, Tablet