Apple wants to use 100% recycled cobalt in batteries by 2025
A Apple leveraged its sustainability commitments by announcing today that, by 2025all batteries it designs will use fully recycled cobalt, as well as all magnets in their devices will also only use recycled elements and all circuit boards will have 100% recycled tin solder and gold plating.
In 2022, around 20% of all material in Apple products came from recycled or renewable sources, including the first use of recycled copper foil in the main logic board of the tenth-generation iPad; the introduction of certified recycled steel in the battery tray of the MacBook Air with M2 chip; 100% recycled tungsten in the latest Apple Watch models; and the aluminum enclosures found on many products, made from a 100% recycled aluminum alloy designed by Apple.
Apple’s new commitment to accelerate the use of recycled materials follows its announcement that it is doubling its investment in Restore Fund for the decarbonization of its activities. Today’s announcement is also in line with the company’s overall goal to be fully carbon neutral by 2030.
Our ambition to one day use 100% recycled and renewable materials in our products works hand in hand with Apple 2030: our goal of achieving carbon neutral products by 2030. We are urgently working towards both goals and advancing innovation in our entire sector in the process.
—Lisa Jacksonvice president of environmental, political and social initiatives at Apple
Specifically, Apple reported that, in 2021, 13% of all cobalt found in its products came from recycling; in 2022, that amount rose to 25%. Likewise, the use of 100% recycled rare earth elements certified by the company increased from 45% in 2021 to 73% in 2022.
The company also pointed out that it first introduced recycled rare earths into the Taptic mechanism in the iPhone 11 and now uses them in all devices, most notably the magnets they include.
Apple’s commitment to having all of its own printed circuit boards use certified 100% recycled gold plating also builds on its past efforts. For the iPhone 13, Apple said it pioneered “an exclusively recycled supply chain for gold plating on the main logic board.”
Every day, Apple is innovating to create technology that enriches people’s lives, while protecting the planet we all share. From the recycled materials in our products to the clean energy that powers our operations, our environmental work is an integral part of everything we do and who we are. Therefore, we will continue to move forward in the belief that great technology must be great for our users and the environment.
—Tim CookCEO from Apple
Since then, that same supply method has been used to produce the wire for all the cameras in the iPhone 14 lineup, as well as the printed circuit boards from the AirPods Pro to the Apple Watch. In 2022, 38% of the tin used in flexible printed circuit boards came from recycled sources. Apple said it’s expanding this to all flex and rigid boards it designs.
The company is also reinforcing its commitment to eliminate plastic from its packaging, started with the iPhone 13 in 2021, and finally announced that it has started to deploy augmented reality systems for recycling partners, which guide the disassembly of devices, including MacBooks and iPads.
As recycled and renewable materials can contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of each product, the company said that improved recovery of these materials also brings it closer to its goal of being carbon neutral.
