Robo-Recycling: Apple's Liam Robot Is Ready to Take Your iPhone Apart

Before turning to the expected round of product announcements at today's Apple event, held at the company's campus in Cupertino, Calif., Apple introduced a technical development that won't be a product anytime soon: Liam, the recycling robot. Apple's vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives, Lisa Jackson, said that though Apple's track record of reusing iPhones that are exchanged for upgrades is good, the company recognized that eventually, these things can't be reused. Therefore, she indicated, Apple decided to up its recycling game. The company's engineers in Silicon Valley developed a recycling robot, named Liam, that recognizes all the key parts on an iPhone, takes the phone apart, and pulls out the most valuable materials, including cobalt, lithium, gold, copper, silver, platinum, and tungsten. With a team of Liams available to mine phones for precious metals, Jackson announced a free recycling program for iPhones; customers can drop the phones at Apple stores, or print a prepaid mailing label at home. She urged customers to recycle devices in a way that is "safe for data and safe for the planet," and will keep a little Liam and his friends busy.