The Life of an iPhone (Antonia, 2020)
Organizational Analysis
Activities Environmental Aspect
Transport of raw materials
(minerals) to Italy, Germany,
Inbound logistics United States, etc. that
contributes to greenhouse gas
emissions.
The minerals needed are then
mined for assembly. Some of
the major natural resources
mined for the iPhone are:
Operations Aluminum, Cobalt, Tungsten,
Gold, Tin, Zinc, Copper, Iron,
Nickel, Gallium, Tantalum, and
more. These are all non-
renewable resources.
After these raw minerals are
transported to these
Outbound logistics semiconductors in different
countries like South Korea and
Italy, they are made into
different chips to be assembled
all together for the iPhone.
These are all different chips like
the processor chip, memory chip
and others.
After the iPhone is fully
assembled and ready to be sold,
Marketing and Sales it is shipped to Apple
distribution centers all around
the globe, in countries like
Australia, China, the Czech
Republic, Japan, Singapore, the
U.K. and the U.S using mostly
FedEx Boeing 777's. Apple
certified resellers are in many
countries but Apple official
stores are only in 25 countries.
iPhones also have nonuser-
replaceable batteries. This
means overtime, the battery will
Environmental Impact
Global warming and climate
change
The environmental impacts of the
extraction of minerals for the
iPhone is enormous. Just some of
the impacts of mining are water
pollution, deforestation and harm to
animals and plants in the area. This
is a graph showing the total waste
produced by copper mining in
tones. Trees are also cut to make
space for mines. The hazardous
waste can go into the land and
affect the animals and plants
negatively.
Some of the mines are very
far from the semiconductors and
processing factories so it can emit a
high amount of greenhouse gases.
The processing of minerals emits a
high amount of greenhouse gases
such as CO2. The burning and
soldering of raw minerals into
different iPhone parts like chips
emits CO2 which is released into
the atmosphere. This causes a very
high amount of air pollution.
Planes are one of the largest
polluting transportation methods.
Planes amount for about 2% of the
world's global carbon emissions.
The environmental impact of the
disposal of the iPhone can be high
or low. If recycled directly thru

Service
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Activities
Obtaining the raw materials
Obtaining the raw materials
Manufacturing the iPhone
Packaging the iPhone
Transporting of iPhone
Disposal of iPhone
degrade which results in the
battery dying very quickly for
example. The consumer will
have to either buy a new phone,
or send the phone in for repair
for a very high cost, driving
them to just buy a new phone
instead.
Environmental Aspect
Extraction of minerals
Extraction of Water and Carbon
Dioxide
After the raw minerals are
mined, they are transported to
different semiconductors and
chip manufacturers
around the world.
Plastic is also used in factories
for machines used for
assembling and for some parts
of the conveyor belt that
goes around the factory. This
means more glass needs to be
used in the display, which is a
mixture of aluminum and
silicon. It is also bigger,
meaning more aluminum and
glass is used for the body.
iPhone is fully assembled and
ready to be sold, it is shipped to
Apple distribution centers all
around the globe.
improperly disposed
Apple's "Renew" program, the
environmental impact is quite low
E-waste is more problematic then
other waste because it often
contains very harmful and toxic
chemicals like mercury and lead. If
not properly disposed of, these can
end up polluting the nearby water
sources and soil.
Environmental Impact
Natural resource depletion
Potential water contamination
Ecological habitat damage
Change in the land form (visual
intrusion)
Mining also causes water
pollution, so water is being
used/wasted. This is a non-
renewable resource and a
greenhouse gas, so it is very
harmful for the air and
environment.
This causes a very high amount
of air pollution.
Plastic is also heavily wasted in
the assembling factories. Plastic
comes from oil which is a non-
renewable resource. This is a
graph about the global plastic
production.
Planes are one of the largest
polluting transportation
methods. Planes amount for
about 2% of the world's global
carbon emissions.
The toxic chemicals in the
iPhone can pose a threat to
humans and the environment
 nearby. The harmful greenhouse
gases can harm humans thru
polluted air and the environment
by polluting water sources and
the soil nearby.

Issue by Issue

Activities Environmental Aspect Environmental Impact Control Measures

Natural resource depletion Conduct oil and metal
Obtaining the raw Extraction of minerals Potential water extraction at minimum levels
materials contamination Ecological of production requirements
habitat damage Change in and look for alternative raw
land form materials.
Obtaining the raw Extraction of Water and Mining also causes water switch their fuel for their
materials Carbon Dioxide pollution, so water is mining drills from non-
being used/wasted. This is renewable resources like
a non-renewable resource diesel which emit a high
and a greenhouse gas, so amount of carbon dioxide
it is very harmful for the (CO2) to renewable and
air and environment. more environmentally-
friendly resources like
compressed natural gas
(CNG). Mines can also start
proper waste disposal
techniques so less waste goes
into water sources and the
nearby land, which decreases
water pollution and harm to
animals and plants.
Manufacturing the After the raw minerals This causes a very high The best way to
iPhone are mined, they are amount of air pollution. protect air quality is to
transported to different reduce the emission
semiconductors and chip of pollutants by changing to
manufacturers cleaner fuels and processes.
around the world.

Packaging the iPhone Plastic is also used in Plastic is also heavily significant efforts to reduce
factories for machines wasted in the assembling the prominence of free-range
used for assembling and factories. Plastic comes plastic pollution, through
for some parts of the from oil which is a non- reducing plastic
conveyor belt that renewable resource. This consumption, litter cleanup,
goes around the factory. is a graph about the global and promoting plastic
plastic production. recycling.
Transporting of iPhone is fully Planes are one of the reduce transportation-related
iPhone assembled and ready to largest polluting air pollution, GHG
be sold, it is shipped to transportation methods. emissions, and fuel use by
Apple distribution Planes amount for about reducing vehicle miles
 centers all around the 2% of the world's global traveled and improving
globe. carbon emissions. roadway operations
Disposal of iPhone improperly disposed The toxic chemicals in the disposed properly
iPhone can pose a threat
to humans and the
environment nearby. The
harmful greenhouse gases
can harm humans thru
polluted air and the
environment by polluting
water sources and the soil
nearby.

Prepared by:
Senis, Rachel S.
BSBA-3A