The Green Supply Chain of Electronic Product Recycling: Taking

Apple Company as an Example

Yiming Wang

Curtin Business School, Curtin Singapore, Singapore

Keywords: Supply Chain, Product Recycling Plans, Economic Impact, Apple.

Abstract: Electronic waste has become an urgent global environmental issue, green supply chain management (GSCM)

has become an important way to achieve sustainable development. This article explores the structure and

practices of Apple's green supply chain, focusing on its electronics recycling program. The study first

discusses the definition of recyclability in electronic products and its strategic importance, emphasizing the

circular economy principles and environmental standards such as ISO 14001. Through a case study of Apple,

this research explores the company's lifecycle-oriented green supply chain, including recyclable product

design, the renewable materials use, energy-efficient manufacturing, sustainable logistics, and reverse

logistics systems for the end-of-life products recycling. Additionally, this study also analyzes Apple's

cooperation with suppliers through standard implementation, financial support, and performance incentives.

Cost-benefit analysis shows that although green plans require significant investments in technology,

infrastructure, and compliance, they can bring long-term benefits, such as reduced operating costs, brand

enhancement, and improved regulatory adaptability. The study concludes that Apple's approach provides a

effective model for other companies seeking to integrate environmental sustainability into their global supply

chains.

1 INTRODUCTION

Driven by the digital economy's rapid development,

electronic products have become indispensable in

people's daily lives and work. At the same time, the

global supply chain's rapid expansion has

significantly enhanced electronic products production

and distribution efficiency, enabling technology

enterprises to integrate resources and optimize costs

globally. However, this development is also

accompanied by serious environmental challenges,

especially the sharp increase in electronic waste (e-

waste). From 2020 "Global E-Waste Monitoring

Report", approximately 536 million tons electronic

waste were generated in 2019 globally, but only

17.4% was properly recycled and processed (Forti et

al., 2020).

Until now, the handling methods of electronic

waste are still generally lacking in scientific norms. A

large amount of electronic waste is simply buried or

incinerated without proper treatment, releasing toxic

and harmful substances such as lead, mercury, and

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3009-763X

cadmium, directly threaten the ecological safety of

soil, water bodies, and air. These practices not only

cause serious environmental pollution but also mean

the waste of precious resources. Therefore, the green

supply chain concept emerged. It not only focuses on

the production and circulation processes' efficiency

but also emphasizes environmental friendliness

throughout the entire process across the entire supply

chain. Optimizing resource utilization, promoting

material recycling, and reducing carbon emissions,

can help green supply chain can reduce the generation

of electronic waste at the source and improve the

efficiency of electronic product recycling and reuse.

Therefore, in the global background for sustainable

development, establishing a scientific and efficient

green supply chain system has become an important

and unavoidable issue for the electronics industry.

With the strengthening of global environmental

protection policies and the consumer's increasing

environmental awareness, enterprises are

increasingly required to be responsible for their

662

Wang, Y.

The Green Supply Chain of Electronic Product Recycling: Taking Apple Company as an Example.

DOI: 10.5220/0013852000004719

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on E-commerce and Modern Logistics (ICEML 2025), pages 662-671

ISBN: 978-989-758-775-7

product environmental impact throughout their life

cycle.

Environmental-friendly products can not only

stimulate consumers' purchasing willingness but also

help enhance the company's social responsibility

reputation, thereby increasing brand loyalty and

customer satisfaction (Gu, 2024). Especially for

electronic product manufacturers, the environmental

impact after the product's disposal has become an

important indicator for measuring their social

responsibility and sustainable development.

Given that the company bears a significant

responsibility for the product's sustainability, and the

green supply chain is one of the important paths to

achieving product sustainability, Apple was the first

to recognize this and has continuously advanced

green supply chain management in practice. By

integrating environmental protection concepts in

aspects such as raw material procurement, product

design, manufacturing, logistics, and recycling,

Apple not only improved resource utilization

efficiency but also became a benchmarking enterprise

in the global green manufacturing sector.

The main objective is to investigate how Apple

integrates recyclability into its product design and

supply chain operations, including material selection

and recycling plans, to assess the application

identification and analysis of Apple's green supply

chain in the background of circular economy. The

paper also aims to identify and analyze the

environmental and industry standards that influence

Apple's supply chain decisions and conduct a

comprehensive assessment of Apple's environmental

technology. By conducting an in-depth Apple case,

this research can help emphasize the sustainability

integration into core business model and stimulate

feasible changes throughout the electronics industry's

entire value chain.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Recyclability Definition and

Importance

In the management of electronic product life cycles,

recyclability is the core aspect for achieving green

supply chains and circular economies. The product's

recyclability includes its nature and the actual

recycling pathways available after its use (Pomberger

& Bezama, 2024). Recyclability not only refers to the

fact that products can be recycled after use but also

includes strategic and engineering considerations

made during the product design stage to ensure the

material selection, structural design, assembly

methods, etc., which can help to later disassembly,

recycling, and reuse. Especially in the field of

electronic products, recyclability covers multiple

aspects such as the feasibility of material recycling,

resource utilization efficiency, environmental

friendliness, and the adaptability of product disposal

after retirement.

From an operational level, recyclability includes

two key parts: first, whether the product has sufficient

physical and economic value for recycling after it

becomes waste; second, whether the materials it uses

are compatible with the existing recycling

infrastructure. This means that whether an electronic

product is "recyclable" not only depends on the

potential for reusing the resources it contains but also

on whether it can be efficiently and safely

disassembled and classified under the current

technological conditions. For example, using

detachable screws instead of adhesives, adopting

standardized interface designs, and using non-

composite materials are all common ways to improve

recyclability.

With the electronic waste rapid growth,

improving electronic products' recyclability has

become particularly crucial for achieving resource

recycling and relieving environmental pollution.

Electronic products contain a variety of complex

materials, including precious metals, base metals, and

harmful substances. If not properly recycled, these

materials will bring toxic waste and resource

depletion. This also leads to the loss of non-renewable

resources such as metals and rare earths. In 2022, only

approximately 22.3% of the recorded electronic waste

was properly recycled. It is projected that by 2030,

the amount will reach 82 million tons, posing a threat

to human health and the environment (UNITAR,

2024).

For a company like Apple, enhancing

recyclability can achieve two purposes

simultaneously: improving environmental

performance and ensuring compliance with global

regulations. This can help the company gain a good

reputation, attract more customers, and build

customer loyalty. Apple devote itself to making new

products by maximizing the recycled materials from

recycled products. Up to now, the company has

achieved using materials in the product, 24% of

which are sourced from recyclable or renewable

resources (Apple, 2019). Apple has enhanced

disassembly and material recycling efficiency by

fully considering recyclability in product design

(such as modular design, reduce adhesive usage, and

screw standardization). This can help reduces the

The Green Supply Chain of Electronic Product Recycling: Taking Apple Company as an Example

663

environmental impact and enables valuable materials,

thereby promoting economic sustainability.

2.2 Circular Economy and Green

Supply Chain Management

Circular Economy (CE) is a development model

centered on the resource's sustainable utilization. It

emphasizes the implementation of a "resource-

product-renewable resource" closed-loop system

through measures such as extending product life

cycles, remanufacturing, reuse, and recycling.

Compared to the traditional linear economy such as

"production-consumption-waste", Circular Economy

aims to "reduce resource usage, minimize waste, and

achieve reuse", fundamentally addressing resource

depletion and environmental pollution issues. It is

possible to better facilitate the circular economy

realization by designing products that can be utilized

to the fullest extent within a longer life cycle, creating

multi-functional products with different uses in

different periods, and employing systematic supply

chain management methods to assess the connections

between the product's extracted energy, materials and

environment (Arruda et al., 2021). There are various

ways to achieve a circular economy. For instance,

through multi-functional product design, the

product's adaptability and lifespan can be enhanced,

which helps reduce the frequency of updates and

excessive consumption; a device with multiple

functions can replace multiple single-purpose

electronic products, thereby reducing the total

material usage and the scrap rate. Adopting

systematic supply chain management strategies can

improve resource allocation efficiency, enabling

enterprises to optimize environmental impact

throughout the entire process to achieve material's

"closed-loop circulation". Additionally, promoting

modular and standardized product design also helps

simplify the dismantling process, enhancing

maintainability and recovery rate.

Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) is a

key operational framework that drives the circular

economy. It integrates environmental protection

concepts into the product's entire lifecycle

management, covering process like raw material

procurement, production, manufacturing and product

usage and recycling. GSCM ensures that enterprises

achieve economic benefits while also considering

environmental performance through refined supplier

management, green logistics, energy-saving

manufacturing, and recycling mechanisms

establishment.

The practices in circular economy and green

supply chain management fully show these concepts.

In its product design, it incorporates the principle of

recyclability, such as adopting modular structures,

reducing the composite materials use, and increasing

the recycled materials proportion in products

continuously. The company has shifted to using

recycled materials—— To promote recycled materials

used in manufacturing products, Apple has expanded

the recycled metals use. More than two-thirds

aluminum in Apple products, nearly three-quarters

rare earths, and over 95% tungsten are sourced from

100% recycled materials. Since 2019, Apple's

disassembly robot Daisy recovered over 11,000

kilograms cobalt from dismantled batteries (Apple,

2023). These innovations show Apple's commitment

to green recycling and building a restorative supply

chain.

Apple's achievements in the green supply chain

also confirm a key point put forward by the Ellen

MacArthur Foundation: "Companies followed

circular economy model will have greater

adaptability and competitiveness in the future."

Through product design innovation, material

recycling technology, and global supply chain

collaboration, Apple is building a resource-efficient

and environmentally friendly industrial model, which

not only enhances its own brand value and social

reputation but also provides a replicable and scalable

green transformation path for global technology

enterprises.

2.3 Environmental and Industry

Standards

In the background of global sustainable development,

multiple international organizations and regional

institutions have formulated environmental-related

frameworks and standards, aiming to encourage

enterprises to enhance their environmental

management capabilities, reduce resource

consumption, decrease pollution emissions, and

strengthen their green competitiveness. For electronic

product manufacturers, complying with these

standards is not only a compliance requirement but

also an important foundation for achieving green

supply chain management.

To ensure accountability and standardization of

environmental protection work, various global

frameworks and industry-specific standards have

been established. The most influential ones include:

ISO 14001 (provides organizations a systematic

framework to manage company's environmental

responsibilities and encourages their continuous

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improvement and compliance with legal and

regulatory requirements), RoHS (Restriction of

Hazardous Substances Directive) which restricts

specific hazardous materials use in electronic and

electrical equipment man faction, WEEE (Waste

Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive)-

directive originates from the European Union and

stipulates the electronic waste collection, treatment

and recycling, with Extended Producer

Responsibility (EPR) as the core principle, and

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and

Restriction of Chemicals) which key management the

risks associated with chemical substances.

Although the above standards belong to different

institutions or regions and their control point are

slightly different, they share a high consistency

degree in their goals to encourage enterprises to

identify and reduce the product's negative

environmental impacts and production processes,

improve resource utilization efficiency, and achieve

sustainable development. These standards constitute

the green supply chain management institutional

foundation and are important reference criteria for

enterprises to carry out green design, procurement,

manufacturing, and recycling.

Apple has always insisted its operations comply

with these standards, and often even exceed them. For

example, Apple releases the "Environmental Progress

Report" every year, detailing its carbon footprint, the

recycled materials used, and compliance with

environmental policies. Apple devoted to reducing its

carbon footprint to achieve carbon neutrality and has

committed to transforming its value chain to achieve

100% clean electricity by 2030. It also collaborates

with suppliers to eliminate the waste and facilities

sent to landfills by the company. Moreover, Apple's

suppliers are required to obey the "Apple Supplier

Conduct Code", which incorporates environmental

compliance and sustainable practices into the

contractual obligations.

These international and industry standards not

only serve as the minimum compliance requirements

but also serve as crucial tools for driving enterprises'

strategic environmental management and building

green value chains. However, these standards not

only serve as standards but also protect the company

from reputational and regulatory risks. By integrating

these frameworks into its operations, Apple

demonstrated that compliance with environmental

and industry standards is not only about legal

compliance but also about leadership and innovation

in the sustainable development field.

3 CASE ANALYSIS

1 Supply Chain Structure

Apple's supply chain is complex and globally

integrated. Its notable features include a vertical

integration strategy, a strict supplier accountability

system, and an efficient logistics and distribution

system. These features collectively form Apple's core

competitiveness in maintaining product quality,

market response speed, and supply continuity in the

global competition. The following will be analyzed in

detail according to the supply chain process sequence.

3.1.1 Vertical Integration and Core Control

Apple's vertical integration enables the company to

maintain key link control in the supply chain,

including the ability to design hardware and software

independently, when part of business outsourcing,

which ensures Apple's competitive advantage (Dixit,

2024). Apple adopts a highly vertically integrated

strategy in the procurement stage of components at

the very top of the supply chain, maintaining strong

control over key components (chips, displays,

batteries, body materials, etc.). Different from the

traditional approach of relying on third-party designs,

Apple insists on self-developing core hardware (M

series chips) and operating systems (iOS, macOS),

and deeply customizes key components in its supply

chain. This high-level synergy between hardware and

software not only enhances product performance but

also brings advantages in the supply aspect: For

instance, the independent design and core

components control reduce the reliance on external

critical technologies and resources, avoiding risks

from supplier disruptions or technological

limitations. By establishing independent standards to

regulate the supply chain from upstream to

downstream, Apple can ensure that the technical

specifications, environmental protection indicators,

and all product user experiences are highly consistent.

The independent design capability shortens the period

from product research to mass production and

enhances the ability to respond quickly to market

demands.

3.1.2 Supplier Accountability System

Ensures the Implementation of the

Standards

During the product manufacturing and assembly

stage, Apple mainly collaborates with suppliers

through the contract manufacturing model but

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665

implements strict accountability systems for its

partners. Its core manufacturers, such as Foxconn,

Pegatron, and Wistron, are located in various

countries and regions including China, India,

Vietnam, and the United States. Apple requires its

suppliers to obey behavioral guidelines, including

demanding suppliers to offer safe working conditions,

fair employee treatment, and environmentally

friendly production processes (Apple, n.d.). This

mechanism ensures: environmental compliance in the

manufacturing process; the laborers' rights and

interests have been guaranteed, and various green

manufacturing standards have been effectively

implemented, such as the full-scale promotion of the

ISO 14001 environmental management system.

3.1.3 Digitalization and Global Layout

Enable Efficient Response

At the supply chain's final stage, Apple has

established global distribution network and an

efficient logistics system. The company achieves

high-efficiency global delivery through a data-driven

forecasting system, regional distribution centers,

automated warehousing systems, and a mixed

distribution model that collaborates with third-party

logistics service providers (DHL and UPS).

Apple has also continuously optimized its

packaging design and transportation routes. For

instance, by reducing the product packaging volume,

increasing the packaging density to lower carbon

emissions, and improving transportation efficiency.

Additionally, the company has established local

assembly plants in key markets (India and Vietnam)

to cope with trade protection policies, reduce

transportation distances, and enhance local supply

capabilities and market response speed. Apple has

communicated with suppliers effectively and

conducts regular reviews, thereby enhancing the

supply chain's overall efficiency. This also helped

solve transportation problems and enabled Apple to

maintain a leading position in the competition (W.

Zhao, 2024).

3.1.4 Conclude

Apple's supply chain structure is characterized by

"strong upstream control, strict accountability in the

middle stage, and high efficiency in the downstream".

Through vertical integration, strict management, and

digital optimization, Apple has established a supply

chain system with high flexibility, green

characteristics, and global coordination capabilities,

providing a solid foundation for its transformation in

green supply chain and its practice in the circular

economy.

3.2 Apple's Electronic Product

Recycling Current Situation

Apple has been committed to establishing a closed-

loop material utilization system. Its electronic product

recycling program covers multiple aspects, including

consumer incentives, technical means, and material

handling, building a relatively complete recycling

closed loop.

First, Apple Trade-In Program: Apple encourages

customers to return old equipment to get store credit

or to recycle responsibly. The returned products will

either be renovated and resold or disassembled for

recycling. As a profit strategy to confront TPR, trade-

in programs can often enhance consumers'

willingness to pay for products and counteract the

third-party remanufacturing's positive impact on

consumer surplus (Zhao et al., 2021).

Second, Disassembly robot: Apple launched the

"Liam" robot in 2016, which is equipped with 29 arms

and can disassemble an iPhone 6 within 11 seconds.

Soon afterward, Apple introduced the "Daisy" robot

in 2018, which increased the disassembly speed. The

company's newly developed robot helps separate

magnets from audio modules to recycle more rare

earth elements (Apple, 2022). Robots can precisely

recover key metals such as rare elements to avoid

material waste and pollution caused by manual

disassembly. Moreover, the earlier version "Liam"

also accumulated valuable experience for subsequent

recycling technologies.

Third, Material Recycling Facility (MRF): By

cooperating with recycling companies, Apple ensures

that the collected products are processed in facilities

that can handle electronic waste and recycle valuable

resources safely which can help ensure high-value

metals and rare resources can be safely and efficiently

recycled and reused.

Although Apple has implemented several

advanced measures in its recycling system and

achieved certain results, its electronic product

recycling practice still faces many challenges.

On one hand, the user recovery rate still needs to

be improved. According to a survey by a third-party

institution, the electronic products worldwide

recovery rate is generally low, especially in

developing countries, consumers' environmental

awareness is relatively weak and the recycling

channels are not well-established, which has become

an obstacle to the closed-loop recycling system

promotion. On the other hand, the product's

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repairability and the third-party recycling difficulty

also caused controversy. For example, some products

still use proprietary screws, strong adhesives, etc.,

which limits the disassembly and repair of devices by

non-official institutions, affecting recycling

cooperation openness in the entire industry.

3.3 Apple's Sustainable Development

Goals

Apple has formulated ambitious environmental and

sustainable development goals that are in line with the

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs). These initiatives show Apple's promise to

reducing its footprint to build a sustainable future.

Achieve carbon neutrality by 2030: Apple aims to

achieve carbon neutrality throughout its entire value

chain by 2030. This covers its operations all aspects,

including manufacturing, supply chain, and product

lifecycle. To achieve comprehensive carbon

reduction across the value chain to reduce carbon

footprint significantly, Apple has set a goal to reduce

75% emissions compared to 2015 by 2023 and to

reduce them by 90% by 2050 (Apple, 2024a).

Renewable Energy Plan: Although traditional

fossil fuels bring economic growth, they have brought

great environmental pollution and climate change.

Therefore, to achieve and obey the SDGs (The

Sustainable Development Goals), renewable energy

is regarded as a tool to reduce climate change, it is

also considered as a means to achieve other goals

(Agbakwuru et al., 2024). By adopting clear and strict

measures for product decarbonization to reduce

emissions, Apple has devote itself to achieve

product's carbon neutrality by 2030. Take the Apple

Watch as an example, its manufacturing and products

are powered by 100% clean electricity, and it ensures

that each product reduces at least 75% of its emissions

(Apple, 2023).

Innovations in product design and materials:

Recycled cobalt and lithium- In terms of recycling

rare earth elements, the report presented by Apple in

2022 shows that the rare earth materials' complete

recycling rate reached 73%, which was higher than

the previous year's 45% (Kate, 2023). Recycled

copper- Apple has used 100% recycled copper in key

heat dissipation applications for products such as the

iPhone 15 (Apple, 2024). Carbon neutrality- Apple

has launched products that achieve complete carbon

neutrality, such as the Apple Watch Series 9. These

products ensure a significant reduction in carbon

emissions in terms of materials, electricity, and

transportation (Reccessary, 2024).

Waste Reduction and Recycling Program: Apple

has execute a comprehensive recycling program to

minimize waste and promote a circular economy.

Customers can recycle their devices to earn a discount

or for free if they meet the requirements. This is to

encourage responsible materials disposal and reuse.

Apple supports product recycling and recycling

collection programs promotion through online or

offline channels, such as giving Apple Store gift

cards, offering free recycling, or providing points

(Apple, 2024b). Moreover, Apple has developed an

advanced disassembly robot like Daisy, which can

disassemble iPhones efficiently to recover valuable

materials.

Transparency and reporting: Apple maintains its

environmental protection efforts transparency by

publishing its yearly environmental progress report.

These reports provide detailed information on the

company's various initiatives, progress towards goals,

and improvement areas. It also focuses on Apple's

strategies in clean energy, material innovation,

recycling, and carbon removal.

3.4 Cost and Benefit Analysis

3.4.1 Cost

In the process of establishing a green supply chain

and implementing an electronic product recycling

program, enterprises must make a balance between

environmental responsibility and commercial value.

For Apple, the green transformation not only involves

significant upfront investment but also brings long-

term economic returns. Therefore, conducting

systematic cost and green supply chain benefit

analysis practices helps evaluate sustainable strategy

commercial feasibility and provide a reference for

other enterprises.

Cost Composition Analysis: During the process of

promoting a green supply chain, Apple faces various

cost expenditures, including research and

development, supplier transformation, reverse

logistics, and compliance systems establishment.

Firstly, the company continuously invests funds in

developing recyclable product designs and automatic

disassembly robots to enhance recycling efficiency

and reduce resource waste; secondly, to achieve the

carbon neutrality goal by 2030, Apple invests a large

amount of resources to assist suppliers in

transitioning to renewable energy, including

providing technical support and financial incentives.

Additionally, building global material recycling

laboratories, product recycling networks, and

logistics systems is also an important expenditure,

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667

aiming to improve the reverse circulation path of

electronic products. Finally, to ensure compliance

with global environmental standards such as ISO

14001, RoHS, and WEEE, Apple regularly conducts

environmental compliance audits and third-party

certifications, which increases compliance and

management costs. These costs constitute the initial

investment base required for the Apple Green

strategy.

Investment Analysis Return: Despite the huge

initial investment, Apple has achieved benefits in

multiple aspects through its green supply chain

reform. In terms of operations, clean energy use has

reduced the risks brought about by fluctuations in

energy costs and significantly saved long-term

operating expenses; in terms of materials, the large-

scale use of recycled aluminum, rare earths, cobalt,

and other recycled resources has effectively avoided

fluctuations in raw material prices which help

improved supply stability. At the same time, the

environmental protection strategy enhanced the brand

image and consumer recognition attracted users with

strong environmental awareness, and improved

customer loyalty and market share. Moreover, Apple

successfully published green bonds to raise funds for

its sustainable projects, which also enhanced its

appeal to ESG investors. By obey the global

environmental protection regulations in advance,

Apple has maintained a leading position in policy risk

management and consolidated its long-term stable

development capabilities in the global market.

3.4.2 Benefits

Cost savings from operations: Investments in

renewable energy and energy efficiency have

significantly reduced operational costs. For instance,

integrating renewable energy into business operations

has reduced reliance on fossil fuels to bring about

considerable long-term cost savings.

Reduce material costs: By using recycled

materials (99% cobalt in all Apple-designed

batteries), Apple has reduced its reliance on raw

materials, thereby saving costs and stabilizing the

supply chain.

Enhancing brand value and customer loyalty:

Apple's commitment to sustainability has enhanced

its brand image, attracted consumers with

environmental awareness, and cultivated customer

loyalty. This positive perception can translate into

growth in sales and market share.

Attracting investors through green financing:

Apple's green bonds not only provide funds for its

environmental protection initiatives but also attract

investors interested in sustainable development

projects. These bonds usually come with favorable

terms, which help to lower the company's capital

costs.

Compliance with regulations and risk mitigation:

By actively adopting sustainable practices, Apple has

positioned itself in a beneficial term of current and

future environmental regulations, which can help

reduce the risks associated with non-compliance and

potential penalties.

4 PRACTICAL ANALYSIS OF

THE RECYCLABILITY

4.1 Product Recyclability Design

Apple has reduced the environmental impact by

adopting recycling and composting systems and using

separate containers to promote recycling efforts

worldwide. Apple also offers product recycling

programs in 95% of its sales regions and has made

significant progress (Chen, 2023).

Apple has fully considered recyclability during

the product design stage to ensure that its products

can be recycled and reused after their lifecycle ends

efficiently. Firstly, Apple adopts a modular design

concept. For example, in products like MacBook and

iPhone, key components can be easily disassembled,

replaced, or upgraded. The company has reduced the

use of adhesives and soldering, and use adopted

connection methods such as screws and clips that are

easier to disassemble. Furthermore, Apple gradually

replaces raw materials. For instance, they use 100%

recyclable aluminum casings, 100% recycled rare

earth magnets, and cobalt batteries to reduce the

primary materials consumption at the source. This

design not only facilitates disassembly, and promotes

the green recycling implementation but also reduces

energy consumption and carbon emissions

significantly.

As Apple delves deeper into the field of product

recycling, the company has independently developed

a disassembly robot. It precisely recovers high-value

materials including rare metals, cobalt, and tungsten.

This automated solution has significantly improved

recycling efficiency and reduced the environmental

and safety risks associated with manual operations.

Through recyclable design, Apple not only achieves

material reuse but also provides a global standard for

electronic waste management.

4.2 Green Supply Chain Measures

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Apple has established a green supply chain

management system covering the entire product

lifecycle, including key aspects such as raw material

procurement, production and manufacturing, logistics

transportation, recycling and reuse, aiming to

minimize environmental impact through the entire

supply chain.

4.2.1 Material Purchase

At the beginning, Apple has established green

cooperation mechanisms with hundreds worldwide

suppliers, encouraging them to use environmentally

friendly materials and adopt sustainable processes

during the raw material's extraction and components

manufacturing.

To standardize the cooperation standards, Apple

has established a strict "Supplier Code of Conduct",

which sets out environmental protection requirements,

labor rights, health and safety indicators. Apple also

provides supplier training and support to enhance

production efficiency and quality to achieve

sustainable development goals and establish long-

term and close partnerships with suppliers. This helps

to better manage the production process and promotes

resource recycling and reutilization actively (Xing,

2023).

Meanwhile, the company established a

comprehensive supplier evaluation and auditing

mechanism. It releases the "Responsible Supply

Chain Report" every year, conducting third-party

audits to monitor the supplier's compliance

performance to ensure that the green procurement

goals are effectively implemented. Apple also

requires its major suppliers to obtain ISO 14001

environmental management system certification, and

prefers to choose enterprises that use environmentally

friendly materials such as recycled aluminum,

recycled cobalt, and low-carbon steel.

4.2.2 Manufacturing

In the manufacturing process, Apple encourages its

suppliers to adopt green production methods by

reducing the use of high-carbon emission

manufacturing processes and improving energy

efficiency. Since 2018, Apple has achieved 100% use

of renewable energy in all its offices, retail stores, and

data centers worldwide. Apple also encouraged its

suppliers to join the "Supplier Clean Energy

Program", which help reduces the carbon footprint

and decreases the reliance of the supply chain on

fossil energy. Meanwhile, the company provides

financial support to suppliers to help them implement

clean energy projects. Apple also promoting energy-

saving technologies application in its own factories,

for instance, by using automated equipment to reduce

energy waste and employing water recycling systems

during the assembly process to decrease water

consumption. This help reduces the carbon footprint

in manufacturing, and also enhances supply chain

efficiency.

4.2.3 Logistics Transportation

In the logistics process, Apple has also reduced its

overall carbon emissions by optimizing global

transportation routes, increasing loading density, and

encouraging the use of less carbon-intensive

transportation methods such as sea freight to replace

air freight. The company also carried out a

lightweight and recyclable design for the product

packaging structure, abolishing the traditional plastic

film and replacing it with recycled cardboard and

reducing the product size, thereby improving

transportation efficiency. For instance, the iPhone 13

series removed the outer plastic film, which can

reduce approximately 600 tons of plastic usage

annually. These comprehensive measures indicate

that Apple's green supply chain has evolved from

improvements in a single link to systematic

optimization throughout the entire chain.

Furthermore, Apple tring to deploy electric delivery

trucks and green warehousing systems in certain areas

to promote green delivery for the "last mile" of

logistics.

4.2.4 Recycling and Reuse

At the end of the product lifecycle, Apple has

established a closed-loop recycling system to reuse

and dispose of electronic waste in an environmentally

friendly manner. Company launched "Apple Trade-

In" program, where consumers can return their old

devices for recycling and receive purchase discounts

or environmental rewards. The recycled products will

be sent to Apple's or partner's recycling centers for

inspection, disassembly, or refurbishment. To

improve the disassembly efficiency, Apple has

independently developed intelligent robots such as

"Daisy". Furthermore, Apple has a materials

recycling laboratory (Material Recovery Lab) in the

United States, continuing to explore efficient and safe

new recycling technologies.

4.3 Suppliers Participation and

Standards

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In the process of building a green supply chain, Apple

attaches great importance to the environmental

performance and supplier's sustainable development

capabilities, and gradually established a systematic

supplier management system covering multiple

aspects such as standard setting, capacity building

and performance incentives.

Firstly, Apple has formulated the "Supplier Code

of Conduct" to set out the basic requirements for

suppliers clearly in areas such as environmental

protection, occupational health and safety, labor

rights, and ethical business practices. This refers to

several international standards and regulations, such

as ISO 14001 environmental management system,

SA8000 social responsibility standard, and OHSAS

18001 occupational health and safety standard, which

requires all partners to implement the relevant

systems within their organizations and achieve

compliance. In addition, Apple conducts regular on-

site audits to assess suppliers' actual implementation

in terms of environmental emissions, energy

consumption, and waste management, includes these

evaluations in the annual report to ensure that

environmental protection, occupational health and

safety, and social responsibility are properly

implemented.

To help suppliers in achieve a green

transformation and meet relevant standards, Apple

not only sets requirements but also provides a number

of support measures. On one hand, Apple has

established green bonds worth over 4.5 billion US

dollars, which are used to fund suppliers in arranging

clean energy systems, upgrading energy-saving

equipment and improving environmental facilities in

their factories. On the other hand, Apple also offers

specialized training courses to suppliers to help them

understand environmental standards, carbon

neutrality goals and green material alternatives. At

the same time, the company regularly organizes

technical exchanges and experience-sharing meetings

to promote knowledge spread among supply chain

enterprises to enhance the entire network's green

collaboration capabilities.

During the implementation process, Apple also

established an effective supplier performance

evaluation and incentive mechanism. The company

rates cooperative suppliers environmental

performance and publicly releases the "Supplier

Responsibility Progress Report" every year to

outstanding enterprises are commended. For example,

enterprises that have received the "Excellent Green

Performance Supplier" title for consecutive times will

be given priority for future project cooperation

opportunities. Through such a mechanism, Apple

effectively promotes suppliers to form a positive

competitive atmosphere and speed up the green

development process in the entire supply chain.

In conclusion, Apple not only sets clear standards

for its suppliers in the green supply chain, but also

provides support through various ways such as funds,

technology and training. Lastly, it achieves a closed-

loop cooperation from management to incentives

through the performance feedback mechanism. This

model provides systematic and operational

experience for other multinational enterprises to

implement green supply chain management.

5 CONCLUSION

This article focuses on the green supply chain of

electronic product recycling and conducts an analysis

based on Apple. It deeply explores its green practices

in product design, supply chain optimization, and

supplier cooperation. The research shows that Apple

has established a relatively complete green supply

chain system. Starting from the product recyclability

design, by adopting recycled materials, designing

easily disassemblable structures, and using automated

disassembly robots, Apple has significantly improved

its recycling efficiency. At the same time, Apple has

achieved a green transformation from the upstream to

the downstream by promoting suppliers to join the

clean energy program, optimizing logistics routes,

and enhancing the recycling facilities' capacity.

Apple's practices not only reduce environmental

impacts but also create long-term economic benefits

and brand value.

Although Apple has achieved remarkable results

in green supply chain management, there is still room

for improvement. Increasing global recycling

participation rate: In developing countries and

emerging markets, the recycling system is not fully

established. Apple can increase its environmental

protection publicity and investment in facilities in

these markets to enhance user participation.

Enhancing product maintainability: While improving

recyclability, greater emphasis should be placed on

product maintainability to extend their service life

and reduce resource consumption at the source.

Promote industry collaborative standards: Apple

can build on its existing practices to establish unified

industry recycling standards to facilitate green

collaboration among enterprises within the industry

and achieve a win-win situation for the entire supply

chain. Transparency of carbon footprint data: Further

refine and disclose the carbon emissions and

recycling ratios at each product's life cycle, enhancing

external supervision and user trust.

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Green supply chain management will play an

important role in global sustainable development

issues. For Apple, its green innovation is not only

reflecting corporate social responsibility but also will

become one of the enterprise's competitive

advantages. With the strengthening of global

environmental protection policies and consumers'

environmental awareness improvement, a green

supply chain will become the new standard for

technology enterprises. In the future, with

technological development such as artificial

intelligence, big data, and blockchain, Apple can

achieve supply chain traceability, intelligent

management, and carbon emissions real-time

monitoring to enhance response efficiency and supply

chain sustainability. Apple can also expand its green

practices to more product lines and services, such as

enhancing the recycling and remanufacturing system

of Mac, iPad, wearable devices, etc., and building a

"closed-loop supply chain" model comprehensively.

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