USB-C is already widely used around the world, but micro-USB continues to be used, and Apple uses its own Lightning port. | Primakov / Shutterstock
The European Commission is asking for regulations forcing mobile device manufacturers to standardize the use of USB Type-C chargers.
An Apple shareholder resolution follows a similar effort at Microsoft earlier this year. | Al.geba / Shutterstock
An environment-focused investment firm this month filed a shareholder resolution with Apple, asking the OEM to move away from its “restrictive” product repair policies.
Anuar Garcia, founder and CEO of GreenTek Solutions. | Courtesy of Apple
GreenTek Solutions was selected to participate in Apple’s new Impact Accelerator program, which supports racial and ethnic minority-owned businesses in the green technology and clean energy sectors.
Microsoft declined to comment on the shareholder resolution, but a company spokesperson pointed to Microsoft’s Devices Sustainability Report for the 2020 fiscal year.| Eric Glenn / Shutterstock
An advocacy group filed a shareholder resolution requesting that Microsoft study the impacts of making repair resources readily available to the public. The company hasn’t commented, but it referenced its existing efforts in the field of repair.
Cumulatively, Samsung has collected 10 billion pounds of e-scrap since 2009, according to a recent company report. | OleksSH / Shutterstock
A major OEM increased the weight of e-scrap it collected in 2020, according to its latest sustainability report.
Three years ago, repair advocacy group iFixit partnered with Samsung to support the Galaxy Upcycling project. | Resource Recycling file photo
Once a partner in Samsung’s “Galaxy Upcycling” project, device repair organization iFixit now says the OEM has watered down the initiative to something “nearly unrecognizable.”
Intel reported the company will expand the scope of its reverse logistics program and optimize reuse and recovery of returned products. | Bandersnatch/Shutterstock
Belkin reported on its recycling progress, Dell launched a collection advertising campaign, and Intel wrote about how it works with device returns. These are a few recent developments from electronics manufacturers.
The Circular Electronics Partnership is being facilitated by a handful of organizations, including the Global Electronics Council and the World Economic Forum. | Iryna Imago/Shutterstock
Dell, Glencore, Microsoft and Sims are among the founding collaborators of the Circular Electronics Partnership, a new initiative focused on boosting recovery and reuse of electronics.
Microsoft has plans to significantly expand its data center footprint beyond the current 3 million servers and related hardware, with sustainability in mind. | Ritu Manoj Jethani/Shutterstock
A year after establishing a handful of guiding sustainability targets, Microsoft this month published a progress report. The report touched on the company’s move to increase reuse at its data centers.
Apple’s battery-throttling controversy has helped fuel right-to-repair conversations.| Attila Fodemesi/Shutterstock
Apple has agreed to settle allegations that the company concealed iPhone battery problems rather than informing customers or replacing the batteries.