This piece positions Apple as a nefarious actor with exploitative intent. I'd imagine that if Apple built products without holding aesthetics in the highest esteem (like many Android or non-Apple manufacturers do), their audience wouldn't be willing to buy. The market has clearly voted with its dollars - think of how bulky ultra-low-profile earbuds would become if their batteries were replaceable, or how much more susceptible to water damage & general abuse.

And Apple already runs a fairly generous program for old iPhones, which btw, last far longer than their Android counter-parts.

Anyway, not to say that Apple can't improve its recycling process (or incentive systems for consumers to recycle) but to my knowledge, it's far ahead of the competition.