It all depends on what requires more energy: breaking apart the airpods to replace the battery, or recycling and delivering a new pair. If the factory line is e

It all depends on what requires more energy: breaking apart the airpods to replace the battery, or recycling and delivering a new pair. If the factory line is efficient enough it may be greener to replace instead of repair. Of course it can be argued that if apple had designed them for easy battery replacement repair would be so easy as to always be greener.