APPLE DAISY

Apple's Daisy is a purpose-built disassembly robot that can process 200 iPhones per hour, recovering 15 different material types including rare earth elements, tungsten, and cobalt that are difficult to extract through conventional recycling. Daisy uses a multi-step automated process: first removing the battery using controlled temperature changes, then separating the display, logic board, and other components through a sequence of mechanical operations designed to preserve component integrity. The robot can process 23 different iPhone models, demonstrating adaptability across product generations. Daisy represents a significant investment in automated disassembly infrastructure, justified by the recovery of high-value materials — Apple reports recovering over 12,000 kg of gold-bearing logic boards annually. The system also feeds Apple's Material Recovery Lab, where researchers develop new recycling and recovery technologies. Daisy illustrates how designing products with automated end-of-life processing in mind, combined with investment in robotic disassembly, can enable material recovery at a scale and purity impossible through manual processing.