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Raw Materials: neodymium magnet (neodymium, iron, boron). Hold up. What are neodymium magnets? High magnetism and low cost is what you need to know :) More raw materials: oxygen-free electrolysis copper, paper cone (paper, wool, felt), aluminum coil, ABS plastic, silicone plastic, nickel plated jack, packaging which is ABS plastic and tapioca paper foam). ABS plastic is toxic, so mask wearing is advised! We all know the importance of masks now. Raw materials are mined across the globe! Wow! From the United States to Vietnam!

Unfortunately, components of Airpods cannot be recycled. But please recycle people! Glass, plastic, magazines, and more! However, experiments are being conducted to determine the recyclability of the rare earth metals in neodymium magnets. Small components in the Airpods make it difficult/time-consuming/expensive to separate the materials to recycle. Why so expensive:(

Extracting the raw materials is the highest energy consumption level. This is because high amounts of heat are used to melt and refine the metals. Neodymium magnets use the most heat and energy. We knew those magnets were important and now they're using the most heat. Resulting is fossil fuel and carbon dioxide emissions, and chemical waste such as arsenic and sulfuric acid. The burning of fossil fuels leads to soil erosion and asbestos. Yikes! This waste is magnified because over 1 BILLION Airpods have been distributed.

Production

-Apple has been using multiple countries including China and India to produce Airpods which will

reduce cost and improve efficiency

-Packaging involves recycled paper and ABS plastic

-Production involves multiple machinery and laborers

Pros:

-Apple has been finding new ways to make AirPods environmentally friendly

-Packaging has changed to involve tapioca paper foam which dissolves in water

-No extra materials are being used in production

Cons:

-Airpods need energy and heat to melt the metals including Neodymium

-Production is the most consuming part of the life cycle when it comes to energy

-Chemical waste is also produced including arsenic and sulfuric acid

-The lithium ion battery that they are made of degrades over time.

Distribution

Apple products are distributed all the world and are sold in Apple stores and other third-party locations. Apple headphones are transported from its manufacturing plants in China to the USA by airplanes. They do this as its most cost effective and is much faster than doing it by boat.

Since Apple uses airplanes over boats the environmental impact is much greater. 1 km of distance by plane emit 500 grams of CO2 while boats are only around 10 to 40 grams of CO2 per kilometer. For one trip the total emission produced from the plane is around 13 ton of CO2 while if they did it by boat it would only be .66 Tons of CO2.

CONSUMPTION

AirPods are a great device for anyone across the globe. we see AirPods being widely used across the nation for a variety of purposes. AirPods are a great purchase for someone who wants to use wireless headphones to workout at the gym, Communicate on the go privately for work purposes and just to listen in general for many reasons. AirPods are intended for anyone and everybody who likes to use wireless headphones!