Apple has announced to use of 100 percent recycled cobalt in all company-designed batteries by 2025.
Additionally, magnets in Apple devices will use entirely recycled rare earth elements by 2025, and all Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use 100 percent recycled tin soldering and 100 percent recycled gold plating.
In 2022, the company significantly expanded its use of key recycled metals, and now sources over two-thirds of all aluminum, nearly three-quarters of all rare earth, and more than 95 percent of all tungsten in Apple products from 100 percent recycled material.
“From the recycled materials in our products to the clean energy that powers our operations, our environmental work is integral to everything we make and to who we are,”: said Apple CEO Tim Cook.
“So we’ll keep pressing forward in the belief that great technology should be great for our users, and for the environment,” he added.
This rapid progress brings Apple closer to its aim to one day make all products with only recycled and renewable materials and advances the company’s 2030 goal to make every product carbon neutral.
“Our ambition to one day use 100 percent recycled and renewable materials in our products works hand in hand with Apple 2030: our goal to achieve carbon neutral products by 2030,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives.
In 2022, a quarter of all cobalt found in Apple products came from recycled material, up from 13 percent the previous year.
Apple-designed batteries found in iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and many other products represent a significant majority of the company’s use of cobalt.
The company’s use of 100 percent certified recycled rare earth elements has greatly expanded in the last year as well, going from 45 percent in 2021 to 73 percent in 2022.
Apple first introduced recycled rare earth in the Taptic Engine of the iPhone 11.
As part of the accelerated new timeline, all Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use 100 percent certified recycled gold plating by 2025, said the company.
By 2025, the company will use 100 percent certified recycled tin soldering on all Apple-designed printed rigid and flexible circuit boards.
