Apple has long talked about a goal of making its supply chain and products 100% carbon neutral by 2030. Now, as part of its latest progress update, the company says that by 2025, 30% of materials used in all products shipped will come from recycled sources. apple It attributes this to closer collaboration with its global supply chain and deeper changes in how its products are designed and manufactured.
quick view
- 30% of materials in Apple products (2025) will come from recycled resources.
- All Apple batteries use 100% recycled cobalt.
- All magnets are made from 100% recycled rare earth elements.
- MacBook Neo is the most carbon-neutral device yet.
- Since 2015, greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by more than 60%.
- Apple facilities around the world are powered by 100% renewable energy.
- More than 15,000 tons of plastic have been avoided in the past five years.
- 55% of corporate water use was replenished, saving suppliers 17 billion gallons.
How Apple is addressing overall sustainability issues
Apple said it now uses 100% recycled cobalt in all its batteries and 100% recycled rare earth elements in the magnets across its product lines. These are key materials in modern electronics, and switching them to recycled sources marks a major change in how devices are manufactured.
Packaging is another area where Apple has made clear progress. The company says it has now switched entirely to fiber packaging, eliminating plastic entirely. This means that not only are the boxes made from recycled materials, but they are also easier to recycle after use. Apple even points to design tweaks, such as larger product boxes that fold into smaller pieces, making them easier to handle responsibly.
Environmental benefits go beyond materials. Apple claims that its greenhouse gas emissions will fall by more than 60% by 2025 compared with 2015 levels, even as its business continues to grow. Over the past five years, it has also prevented the use of more than 15,000 tons of plastic, the equivalent of approximately 500 million plastic water bottles.
In terms of energy, all Apple facilities around the world currently use 100% renewable energy. Across its supply chain, it has purchased more than 20 gigawatts of renewable energy. Water conservation is also part of the effort, with the company replenishing 55% of its water use and suppliers saving a total of 17 billion gallons.
MacBook Neo: Apple’s lowest carbon MacBook yet
The new MacBook Neo is a good example of these changes. Apple says it is the MacBook with the lowest carbon content to date, and its overall recycled content reaches 60%, making it the highest carbon content among Apple devices to date. This includes 100% recycled cobalt in batteries and 100% recycled rare earth materials in magnets. Even manufacturing processes are evolving, with new anodizing technology enabling up to 70% water reuse. Apple says this approach will expand to more products in the future, which seems promising.
Disposal of waste and recycling
When it comes to waste, Apple says it’s making steady progress toward its goal of “zero waste.” By 2025, the waste diversion rate will reach 75% through recycling, composting and reduction efforts. Its Fifth Avenue store in New York became its first to achieve true zero waste certification, meaning the company diverts more than 90% of its waste from landfills.
Across its supply chain, Apple said it would divert approximately 600,000 tons of waste from landfills in 2025 alone, with more than 400 supplier factories participating in its zero-waste program.
Recycling also plays a key role at the end of a product’s life. When users trade in or recycle their devices, Apple works to recycle as much usable material as possible. To improve the process, the company recently launched “Cora,” an electronics recycling line in California that uses precision shredding and advanced sensors to increase material recovery rates.
In addition, Apple is developing “ARIS”, a machine learning-driven detection system that can help recyclers identify and sort e-waste more efficiently. Interestingly, the software runs on Apple’s Mac mini and is already being used by recycling partners to make processes more scalable across the industry.
