Apple sues company tasked to recycle used devices, alleges business sold them instead, reports say

Apple has filed suit against a Canadian company that it had hired to dismantle and recycle used Apple products.

In the suit, the tech giant alleges GEEP Canada, which is now part of the company Quantum Lifecycle Partners, didn’t take apart and instead resold at least 103,845 iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches it had been tasked to destroy, The Logic reported.

Apple sent more than 500,000 devices to GEEP Canada from January 2015 to December 2017.

Apple discovered that at least 18% of the devices slated to be recycled are still accessing cellular networks, The Logic reported.

Apple is suing for $22.7 million.

The Logic said the recycling firm denies the allegations but doesn’t say there wasn’t theft involved.

GEEP filed a countersuit, claiming it was “rogue” employees who took the devices, Apple Insider reported.

Apple has been trying to develop better ways to deal with electronic waste but relies on other companies at this time, The Verge reported.

Apple filed the suit in January. GEEP filed its countersuit in July, Apple Insider reported.

Cox Media Group