Apple launched the iPhone 13 series earlier this month and as part of its campaign against harming the environment, the company has redesigned the packaging. Apple will be completely omitting the use of plastic wraps around the boxes when the new phones are shipped.
Apple claimed that removing the layer of plastic over an iPhone box would mean saving “600 metrics tons of plastic” and that the company plans to completely eliminate the use of plastic in all of its product packaging by 2025.
iPhone 13 package sealed with a sticker that integrates a pull tab to keep the box secure until ready to be opened. It appears that the protective label attaches to an inside section of the box top and the outer area of the box bottom.
This solution effectively keeps the box securely closed during transit and acts as a tamper-evident seal.
Apple has applied a similar tear-away system to its first-party accessories for years, with plastic stickers first appearing on small items like cables and later Apple Watch bands. Paper-based labels like the one used on iPhone 13's packaging are typically reserved for larger accessories with two-part rigid boxes.
Apple highlights other environmentally friendly aspects of iPhone 13 on its website, noting the handset uses 100% recycled rare earth elements in magnets, 100% recycled tin in the solder of its main logic board and battery management unit, 100% recycled gold in the plating of the main logic board and camera wire, and upcycled plastic water bottles for the dielectric material that composes iPhone's antenna lines.
To secure packaging while shipping and prevent anyone from opening the box, the lid is kept securely closed with an adhesive paper tab until the owner pulls a tear-off strip to open it. This is all part of Apple’s environmental goals and, specifically, at the company’s new effort to completely remove plastic from all product packaging by 2025.
