Design Life-Cycle

Varun, Gidwani

Eunice Montes, Ameya Johnson

DES 40A

Professor Cogdell

Materials used in an Apple HomePod

Introduction

One of the best and most commonly available smart home devices is the Apple HomePod. It is a smart assistant powered by apple’s very own Siri which was previously available only on their iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and iPod. The apple HomePod is a new age smart home device which can perform certain tasks given to it by utilising the internet which connects most devices now a days though WIFI. For example, it can control the lighting in your house by connecting to the smart bulbs, or it can play music by connecting to external speakers or by using its own speakers. The HomePod is a complex technological device which consists of numerous parts which are all produced in different parts of the world with different materials used for each of those parts. Keeping the environment in mind apple has taken indicative towards reducing their carbon footprint in their products. This paper will present and analyse the materials used in the Apple HomePod to prove that it is one of the most sustainable electronic voice assistant devices on the current market.

Plastics used: -

One of the main materials used in the HomePod is plastic which is used for the body and the outside mesh covering. “Transitioning to plastics from renewable or recycled sources as alternatives to fossil fuel–based plastics. For HomePod (2nd generation), 16 components contain more than 35 percent recycled plastic. The white mesh fabric is made of nearly 30 percent recycled plastic, and with the new midnight fabric, we have been able to achieve 100 percent recycled plastic.” (Apple Product Environmental Report, 2023, pg. 3) They also make use of bioplastics as an alternative to fossil fuel-based plastic. Bioplastics are plastic materials produced from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust, recycled food waste, etc. Some bioplastics are obtained by processing directly from natural biopolymers including polysaccharides and proteins, while others are chemically synthesised from sugar derivatives and lipids from either plants or animals, or biologically generated by fermentation of sugars or lipids. In contrast, common plastics, such as fossil-fuel plastics are derived from petroleum or natural gas. “Bio-based plastics are made from biological sources rather than from fossil-fuel sources. Bio-based plastics allow us to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.” (Apple Product Environmental Report,2023, pg. 8)

Gold: -

The gold used in the HomePod circuit boards is also recycled gold which is reclaimed from apple products which have been exchanged in the “Buy Back” program and is recovered to be recycled by their Material Recovery Lab, “Innovation is central to realizing the potential of recycling — not just for Apple products but throughout our industry. Austin, Texas is home to our Material Recovery Lab (MRL), which develops new recycling technologies and processes that maximize the recovery of key materials during recycling. The techniques developed at the MRL are intended to be used at scale in our partners’ recycling and material processing centres around the world. We also operate an asset recovery centre in Santa Clara Valley, California, and work with best-in-class recyclers capable of recovering materials at high rates with the best environmental and safety performance.” (People and Environment in Our Supply Chain Progress Report,2023, pg. 10) The gold which is purchased from external sources is vetted for safe labour practices. The gold smelters were background checked to ensure that they were not buying fruits of forced labour. “Of all 221 smelters and refiners of 3TG determined to be in our supply chain as of December 31, 2023, Apple found no reasonable basis for concluding that any such smelter or refiner sourced 3TG that directly or indirectly financed or benefited armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country.” (Apple-Conflict-Minerals-Report,2024, pg.13) Apple did this by getting the due diligence by a third party “Apple believes independent third-party audits remain foundational to robust due diligence systems. Third-party audits play a significant role in providing assurance that smelters and refiners have appropriate due diligence systems in place while helping to confirm that operations and sourcing practices are aligned with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and do not support conflict.” (Apple-Conflict-Minerals-Report,2024, pg.11)

Outer packaging: -

Apple also reduced its plastic usage in the outer packaging of the HomePod by elimination the outer plastic wrap. The outer box of the HomePod is made from recycled fiber, “96% of the packaging is fiber-based, due to our work to eliminate plastic in packaging 49% recycled content in fiber packaging” (Product Environmental Report,2023, pg.1) The fiber used in the packaging is sourced from trees in forests which are sustainably managed so that there is no large-scale deforestation which would kill ecosystems of plants and animals. “100% of the virgin wood fiber in the packaging comes from responsibly managed forests.” (Product Environmental Report,2023, pg.5) The fibers which are used are only of a certain kind which includes Virgin wood fibers, Virgin non-wood fibers, such as bamboo, fibers derived from waste products, such as bagasse, fibers from post-industrial or post-consumer recycled sources. Apple also does not accept fibers which are sourced from unreliable sources such as an unknown forest of origin, illegally sourced wood, Wood harvested in forests where high conservation values are threatened, Wood harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights. The non wood fibers which are used are derived from waste products of cultivated plants, including but not limited to bagasse (sugarcane), rice, corn, and wheat. They must meet requirements such as derived from a renewable biomass with sustainably managed production, do not result from destruction of critical ecosystems or loss of high conservation value habitats or deforestation.

Chemicals: -

The chemicals used in the production of the HomePod are devoid of, “HomePod (2nd generation) is free of harmful substances like beryllium, brominated flame retardants, PVC, phthalates, and mercury.” (Apple HomePod product environmental report,2023, pg.3) Apple also identified the various hazardous chemicals which were produced as a by-product to the manufacture process of refining of mined ore. They considered the severe impact of releasing these chemicals into the environment uncontrollably and realised that it would be devastating hence decided to eliminate certain chemicals from their production process and rated the chemicals on a level of hazardous and damage it could possibly due to the environment and trying to reduce its use as much as possible in the manufacturing process. Apple checks to see if the manufacturing process also leads to production of heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, lead, thorium, uranium, and acidic compounds into the environment and flags these as well to avoid any future accidental release of these heavy metals into the environment.

Conclusion: -

Keeping in mind how the earth is being exploited by humans for its natural resources apple understands that they as a global company do not want to be a contributing factor in this damage. “Apple is committed to eliminating waste at every stage of the product lifecycle, from the time a product is designed and manufactured to the time it is ultimately recycled.” (People and Environment in Our Supply Chain,2024, pg.10) They recognise that they must ensure that not only their own factories but also their suppliers of materials take part in environmentally sustainable manufacturing processes so that minimal damage is done to the environment. “Through our Zero Waste program, their suppliers are required to implement a plan for identifying waste, develop a method for quantifying and monitoring their landfill diversion rate, set waste reduction goals, and maintain progress toward sending zero waste to landfill.” (People and Environment in Our Supply Chain,2024, pg.10) They understand that just completely dumping the entire responsibility on the suppliers to have sustainable practices is not fair hence they also help them reach these sustainability goals. “We also provide support for our suppliers in verifying their zero waste efforts, including through UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a leading industry certification body that requires at least 90 percent diversion of waste through methods other than waste-to-energy. To date, more than 185 of our supplier facilities are Zero Waste–assured by UL Solutions, including all final assembly sites for major Apple products.” (People and Environment in Our Supply Chain,2024, pg.10) This proves that the apple HomePod is not a product of environment exploitation rather it is a device which is made in the most environmentally sustainable way. Its main material gold which is used in its circuit boards is a 100 percent recycled and gold which is obtained from external sources is only brought from those suppliers which follow apple’s guidelines. The fiber used in the packaging is again only obtained from sustainable forests which are managed so that there is no destruction of ecosystems and no loss of animal habitat due to mass deforestation. The outer plastic wrap of the packaging which was made from fossil fuel was also eliminated seeing that it was a very harmful substance to the environment as it took years to decompose and fossil fuels are in limited quantity on the earth and do not renew fast enough. The chemicals which are used in the production of the HomePod are ones which are the least hazardous and give the least amount of harmful by products making the HomePod a voice assistant device with a very less carbon footprint.

Bibliography: -

Apple Home pod product environmental report https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/products/homepod/HomePod_PER_Jan2023.pdf

Apple Environmental Progress Report(2024) https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Environmental_Progress_Report_2024.pdf

Regulated Substances Specification

https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Regulated_Substances_Specification.pdf

Conflict Minerals Report

https://www.supplychainreports.apple/files/doc_downloads/2024/04/Apple-Conflict-Minerals-Report.pdf

People and Environment in Our Supply Chain Progress Report

https://www.supplychainreports.apple/Apple-Supply-Chain-2024-Progress-Report

Material Impact Profiles

https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Material_Impact_Profiles_April2019.pdf

Responsible fiber used for packaging https://apple.com/environment/pdf/Apple_Responsible_Fiber_Specification_June2023.pdf

Amaya Johnson

Varun

Eunice

DES 040

Professor Christina Cogdell

June 5, 2024

Embodied Energy of Apple HomePod

The Apple Home pod is one of Apple's newest additions to the Apple Ecosystem. It is a mini speaker with AI capability to make your life quicker and more enjoyable. The Apple Home Pod is a smart speaker that adapts to your environment and plays music that surrounds you with immersive audio. Apple Home Pods’ energy consumption is one that is sustainable and renewable, through the life cycle of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, use, recycling, and waste management.

The beginning of every product's life cycle would be the raw materials. Apple’s Home Pod uses gold, plastics, and also rare earth elements. The whole idea of mining for raw materials needs to improve in its sustainability and efficiency. The process of mining for these materials is very high in energy with one single piece of equipment being 40% of total energy. Through each mining company, it is said they are a significant user of energy overall. Many people have been trying to fix this problem. For example, in the article “Mining Energy Consumption” it states, “In addition, if zero emissions energy sources are deployed for mobile and stationary equipment—e.g. renewable energy, energy storage and alternative fuels—then the mining industry may well be able to achieve zero emissions, or close to it.” (paragraph 11). This means companies are trying to fix this problem of over using energy. In the meantime, Apple is reducing their involvement in mining by using recycled gold in plating for their Home Pod. Overall, mining for the materials used is not the most sustainable part of Apple's process but they still try to do their part.

         The next part of the Home Pod’s life cycle is the manufacturing and processing. As it is suppliers who handle this step of the life cycle, Apple has set a strict Suppliers Code of Conduct to ensure that even outside sources are playing a part in the sustainability. Apple showcases their top three advances to maintain this sustainability on their website. Their final assembly supplier sites use greener chemicals to clean. Their cleaning chemicals are guided and “determined by methodologies like the GreenScreen assessment”. Alongside green cleaning chemicals, final assembly sites generate zero waste for landfills and the sites are in the process of transitioning to 100% renewable energy.

         The next part of the life cycles would be distribution and transportation. Apple uses land, sea, and air transportation to get the Home Pod to the different countries in which they sell their products in. The energy use in regard to land transportation comes from both cars and railroads. In regards to sea transportation, this focuses on energy used within transportation through the ocean. A new addition that is said to be improving energy consumption within the sea would be offshore wind turbines which allow for more sustainable energy to be given to sea transportation. With air transportation, they use the offshore wind turbines to convert air into electricity. Apple’s company mostly focuses on the use of air and sea transportation but sometimes they do use land transportation. Each of these have very specific energy consumption based on what type of vehicle is being used on the land, sea, and in the air. According to the US Energy Information Administration, gasoline accounts for 52% of transportation energy sources, distillates for boats are 22%, and jet fuel is 12% of the energy sources. This shows that Apple is conscious enough to use air transportation and sea transportation which utilizes significantly less energy than land transportation.

         The most important part of the Home Pod’s sustainability is, of course, while it is in use. To begin, the Home Pod is one of Apple’s many products that are highly rated by ENERGY STAR. ENERGY STAR is a partnership that provides credible and unbiased information on products and their energy efficiency. The Home Pod uses 74% less energy than ENERGY STAR requires. There are three reported voltage powers for the Home Pod that Apple lists on their website. They describe the watts used for three modes: low power mode, music playback, and power supply efficiency. Apple also describes the following modes; the low power mode is the state that is entered when music playback ends, music playback is the condition in which the Home Pod plays a music track, and the power supply efficiency is the measured efficiency of the supply’s output current. For their lowest voltage of 100V, the low power mode only uses 0.93W, the music playback mode uses 8.17W, and the power supply efficiency measures at 89.78%. The median voltage of 115V has a low power mode of 1.04W, the music playback of 8.08W, and the power supply efficiency of 90.02W. The power consumption at its highest voltage of 230V has a low power mode of 1.04W, music playback of 8.28W, and power supply efficiency is at 88.69%. The Home Pod is able to run smoothly and still offer all of its promised attributes without having to use an excessive amount of energy.

         To follow up this part of the life cycle would be the recycling. The recycling Apple offers is the Apple “Trade In” Program. It is an enticing program that encourages people to return products to Apple. You are allowed to trade in your old device and get credit for an updated device -- it can be taken as a win-win for everyone. Apple is then able to take the products and reuse parts fulfilling the sustainable materials that they claim to use, which in turn lowers the amount of energy used to mine the high cost materials. For example, the gold used in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards is 100% recycled. The rare earth materials in the Home Pods’ speaker magnets are also 100% recycled.  Apple’s Trade In is crucial to the existence of the Home Pod. It is necessary to source the materials needed from products already created to save energy and be mindful of what has already been used.

         Through the Trade In program, there are a few products that are unable to be salvaged. Apple has to account for these non-salvageable devices and the waste they will have to dispose of so they have created a way to sort the products they receive. Once Apple has obtained their products, they follow them down two paths and act accordingly. For products that can be reused, they follow the recycling process and strip them of the materials they can use. For products that can not be used, they are still followed and instead they are tracked for the emissions associated with landfills and incineration. However, Apple has created another effort to salvage as much of their products using a “disassembly robot” named Daisy, who is said to be the “most innovative and efficient way to reclaim more of the valuable materials” (Apple). This ties to Apple still trying newer ways to get on top of recycling their “end-of-life waste”. Alongside the physical waste, Apple also has their reports on their carbon footprint. These reported numbers also account for the non-salvageable devices’ emissions. According to Apple, “estimated emissions are calculated in accordance with guidelines and requirements as specified by ISO 14040 and ISO 14044” (Apple). Although Apple tracks their emission numbers, they also mentioned that there is an uncertainty in modeling carbon emissions due to data limitations and they have addressed the uncertainty by “developing detailed process-based environmental models with Apple specific parameters” (Apple). For the rest of Apple’s carbon footprint, there is industry average data and assumptions that are not modeled by Apple.

         In conclusion, the energy use of the Apple Home Pod through the life cycle is overall very sustainable. During the early years for the Home Pod, it is made from recycled materials to avoid an unnecessary surge of energy in the sourcing of the materials necessary. Manufacturers are required to follow a strict code of conduct that shows Apple’s conscious choices. While transporting their goods, Apple takes into account what the most efficient way to get their products into the world is. Once the Home Pod is in use, it is very energy wise and can run its promised qualities without ever compromising energy usage. Apple even has a program in place for them to obtain their products back once they have been used for their life expectancy, allowing the first Home Pods to be used to create more. For products they can’t salvage, the waste management allows for a mindful disposable and Apple keeps track of the emissions they create. Though Apple is a multi trillion dollar company, they still make conscious choices to keep the planet that we all share in mind. They produce and reuse products with stellar attributes and still manage to keep things as green as they can. They are continuously looking for ways to improve their sustainability and with no doubt, they will achieve that.

Bibliography

Apple-Conflict-Minerals-Report.Pdf, www.supplychainreports.apple/files/doc_downloads/2024/04/Apple-Conflict-Minerals-Report.pdf. Accessed 5 June 2024.

Editor, CEEC. “Mining Energy Consumption 2021.” MINING ENERGY CONSUMPTION 2021 - CEEC (Coalition for Eco Efficient Comminution), www.ceecthefuture.org/resources/mining-energy-consumption-2021. Accessed 5 June 2024.

Engst, Adam. “10 Things You Need to Know about Apple’s New Homepod Speaker.” Mac Business Solutions, Mac Business Solutions - Apple Premier Partner, 10 May 2019, www.mbsdirect.com/mbs-blog/article-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-applersquos-new-homepod-speaker.

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Fingas, Jon. “Apple Details the Energy Use of Its Always-on Homepod Speaker.” Engadget, Engadget, 26 Jan. 2018, www.engadget.com/2018-01-26-apple-homepod-speaker-energy-use.html#:~:text=including%2C%20apparently%2C%20that%20it’s%20a,of%20a%20Philips%20Hue%20A19).

Hall, Zac. “HomePod Environmental Report Details Energy Usage, Enters Low Power Mode after 8 Minutes.” 9to5Mac, 26 Jan. 2018, 9to5mac.com/2018/01/26/homepod-environmental-report/.

“HomePod (2nd Generation) - Technical Specifications.” Apple, www.apple.com/homepod-2nd-generation/specs/. Accessed 5 June 2024.

“Homepod (2nd Generation).” Apple (United Kingdom), www.apple.com/uk/homepod-2nd-generation/#:~:text=A%20high%E2%80%91excursion%20woofer%20packs,Fills%20the%20room. Accessed 5 June 2024.

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Rossignol, Joe. “Apple Says Homepod Consumes Less Power than Average Led Bulb during Music Playback.” MacRumors, MacRumors, 26 Jan. 2018, www.macrumors.com/2018/01/26/homepod-environmental-report/.

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Eunice Montes

DES 40A

Professor Cogdell

30 May 2024

Understanding Waste in the Lifecycle of the Apple Homepod

There has been a constant improvement in the technology we use for millions of years. In the past couple of thousand years, an extensive range of tools has been developed, all leading up to the development of today's smart devices, which have a number of useful features to offer. Apple Inc. is one of the largest technology companies in the world to design and sell these devices and one of them is the Homepod which is a smart speaker that allows you to control the other entertainment devices in your home. Technology is evolving at a rapid rate, and as a result, we are becoming more concerned about the environment when it comes to disposing of these products as they become obsolete. The protection of the environment has become one of the most crucial aspects of ensuring that our planet will be able to sustain itself for a very long time to come, and in order to do so, we need to be able to practice effective waste management practices for the technology we use in order to achieve this goal. Despite Apple's commitment to establishing an effective waste management program for the HomePod, it is not possible to ignore the inevitable reality that waste will continue to be produced throughout the life of the product, no matter how effective the waste management program is.

In the process of manufacturing and transporting the Apple Homepod, there are a great deal of materials used, which contribute to a huge amount of waste during the lifetime of the product. Despite its small size, the homepod is made up of a combination of aluminum and plastic, electronic components, and adhesives that bind all of these substances together. Apple has prioritized the use of recycled aluminum as part of the aluminum process, which involves melting down the aluminum and then reusing it for a variety of applications. In instances when they are not using recycled aluminum, they do work with aluminum suppliers that adhere to specific environmental practices that produce this material using renewable energy in the process of manufacturing it. During this extraction and refining process, a lot of waste is produced, mainly air pollution and habitat destruction. In the case of plastic, a similar process is used where they would melt down the material to re-mold it for potential new products. Apple reuses plastic material and tries their best to avoid using new plastic to overall decrease the waste in landfills. Waste is produced a lot in the beginning stage of the Apple Homepod’s lifecycle which is also called the manufacturing process. It often comes from scrap materials left over from when the product is first assembled, as well as from the packaging process where materials such as cardboard, plastic, and foam are used and then discarded by users. In order to transport this product using different forms of transportation such as air, sea, or ground, waste can still be emitted in the form of fuel consumption and emissions. Many believe that once the products are in retail locations, no possible waste can be produced, however, it is quite the opposite in terms of the Homepod. Promotional materials such as tags or plastic can also add to the waste being created along with additional packaging material used when shipping to customers. Now with the product being in the hands of the consumer, it is time to discuss the waste being emitted during its usage.

Despite the fact that the Apple Homepod does add an element of convenience to our daily routines, its use still leaves us with e-waste as well as waste left over from energy consumption. The Homepod uses electricity to function daily and when the product consumes this type of energy, the electricity comes from coal or natural gas or even renewable energy such as wind. The consequence of this is that the power plants that rely on fossil fuels make and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that are contributing a lot to the pollution that we see in the air today. The company has, however, been working to make its products a little more energy efficient in order to make them a little more environmentally friendly and impactful to our planet. The device is not only made up of internal components, they also require energy to have a lasting life. The Homepod does not require any batteries, and there is an accompanying power cord along with the device. This power cord keeps the Homepod running and helps it have an efficient battery life. However, during the course of my research, I could not find any information on the power cable having any role to play at all when it came to adding waste to the environment as a result of its usage, only during its production and end of life. It is also important to remember that just like any other piece of technology, there are times when we need to fix a part of our device during its use in hopes of increasing its lifespan. This, however, causes the broken piece to become waste if not recyclable. As we reflect on the waste created from the beginning and middle cycle of this product’s life, it is also crucial that we look into how its end-of-life can affect our environment. 

Similar to all other devices and products, the Homepod has a limited lifespan, and it will eventually cease to function within time. When it reaches the end of its life, it can turn into electric waste if it's not disposed of correctly. When it becomes e-waste, it can contain hazardous materials such as lead and mercury that can contaminate the soil and water causing it to negatively impact the environment and cause major health issues to the population. This is a creation of waste that needs to be observed to not only ensure the protection of our planet but also the safety of our society. Unfortunately, Apple does not disclose to the public exactly how much of their products are returned to be recycled or reused but they do highlight what they would like to target to reduce waste in total. On the condition that the Homepod is sent back to Apple to be properly recycled, the packaging materials used could be considered waste if not managed correctly. Despite the fact that packaging can become a waste product in the long run, it is not the only one adding to this problem. In case of there being any damage to the Homepod’s components that made some of these materials non-recyclable, such as the fabric or speaker, this could lead to the addition of waste. This is due to them not being able to repair it. On the assumption that they are damaged to a specific extent, there is a chance they could potentially not be able to be reused for other products. As a result of my research, I did not find any waste products that could be created during the re-use process of the device apart from the packaging, which is the only waste that I could find. There is more waste being created during the manufacturing process and during the product’s usage cycle compared to its end of life. 

Understanding the amount of waste that is being emitted into the environment in all of the Apple Homepod life cycle stages is important because this allows us to keep track of our carbon footprint and where we could improve our methods in order to positively impact our earth. Knowing how and the amount of waste created, gives us more information to better manage our resources and production processes. Since technology is a huge part of our everyday lives, we don’t want something so heavily used to be the cause of another concern for our planet. In the Homepod’s life stages, waste seems to be heavily produced at each of the points in its life, some more than others due to Apple’s methods, despite the fact of them constantly improving their strategies. A lot of their environmental progress reports did have a lot of information when it came to the waste being emitted into the atmosphere. However, I did have to dig a little deeper to find out what kind of waste and from what material was it coming from. This was due to the progress reports mainly consisting of only their plans and goals by the year 2030. Apple has been continuously focusing on improving its technology footprint since the company understands the seriousness of this issue. Yet, it is starting to become a wonder if their plan is all talk and little action. Overall, we can only hope that their plan to be carbon neutral will lead to a reduction in their contribution to environmental waste but that is something only time will reveal.

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