100,000 old iPhones instead of going to the trash factory went to users

Bloomberg's in-depth report on the iPhone's device recycling process has uncovered many of Apple's secrets.

Specifically, Apple paid an outside contractor named GEEP to shred devices on the removal list each year. Apple sent GEEP more than 530,000 iPhones, 25,000 iPads and 19,000 Apple Watches in the first 2 years of this contract.

100,000 old iPhones instead of going to the trash factory went to users Picture 1 100,000 old iPhones instead of going to the trash factory went to users Picture 1

However, an Apple audit discovered that at least 99,975 active iPhones, on the scrapped list the company submitted to GEEP, were shipped to China and sold on the consumer electronics market. old.

This means that iPhones that are still in good condition purchased by Apple for exchange or recycling may have been sold on the used smartphone market after restoring factory settings and refurbishing.

Apple sued GEEP in 2020, for breach of contract, but took no further action. In January 2025, the lawsuit will automatically be dismissed unless Apple continues to proceed.

GEEP also filed a lawsuit against three former employees accusing them of being the perpetrators of old device thefts, and the same thing happened with Apple's lawsuit against the company.

According to 9to5Mac, at the end of 2020 Apple's lawsuit with GEEP was first brought to light by news agency Logic. At the time, industry observers were stunned. According to experts, the lawsuit is proof that Apple is forcing a recycling partner to shred tens of thousands of its products that are still usable for refurbishment.

That same year, Apple publicly committed to achieving 100% carbon neutrality over its product lifecycle by 2030. Additionally, in an environmental report, the company also affirmed its commitment to 'reuse is our first choice'.