Apple Inc (AAPL.O) Monday introduced Liam, a robot conceived and designed by the company's engineers to deconstruct iPhones with an aim to recover the materials and reintroduced them into the global supply. The specially designed robot has the potential to reduce e-waste as it can rip an iPhone apart and extracts materials that can be recycled.
Lisa Jackson, Apple vice president for Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, introduced Liam during an event at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, Monday, March 21. The day also saw Apple unveiling the iPhone SE smartphone and 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
Jackson said at the unveiling event of Liam robot that the company worked really hard to make sure that their products don't end up as waste, and thought the best to avoid such a possibility is by reusing the valuable materials.
Liam can deconstruct an iPhone, detect parts, remove materials and separate them. It can rescue cobalt and lithium from the battery, separate gold and copper from the camera, extract silver and platinum from the main logic board so that these materials can be reused.
It may be mentioned that the company has been under criticism for sleek design of its products which many think narrows down the possibility of recycling and reuse of their parts. With Liam, the Cupertino giant appears to have proved the detractors wrong.
