More durability, less waste: 20% of the materials used by Apple are recycled

Summary: Apple is expanding its efforts to increase sustainability and protect the environment. In 2021, the company uses nearly 20% recycled materials in its devices and aims to do more in the future.

On the verge of International Earth Day (April 22), Apple shared some exciting news about the company’s stronger push for greater resilience. In 2021, nearly one-fifth of all materials used to make Apple products were recycled, the highest percentage ever achieved. This marks an important milestone in Apple’s ever-expanding environmental agenda, with promises of more.

This year, Apple managed for the first time to use certified recycled gold and double the use of recycled cobalt and tungsten for the production of its devices. One of the biggest innovations that Apple has implemented is Taz, a machine with an increased rate of material recovery when recycling electronics.

This means an impressive 45% share of recycled rare earth elements. This, combined with the ambitious upgrade program that Apple insists on, and the longer life of their devices, will help reduce yields, according to the company.

Sustainability has become a key priority for the US technology giant, with the latest progress report (PDF) showing clear progress towards the promise of carbon neutrality by 2030. The ultimate goal is simple. According to Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, Apple’s ambition is “one day to make products without taking anything from the earth.”

More symbolically, Apple is trying to raise environmental awareness during the week of April 22 through a coordinated campaign across a number of platforms – Apple Fitness +, Apple News, Apple Books, Apple Podcasts, Apple Pay (you can read more about this in particular here) and App Store.

On Earth Day itself, Apple will host an eco-innovation event behind the iPhone 13, whose new color is perfect for the occasion. Overall, it’s nice to see a greener (in words) Apple that does more for the environment than it removes chargers from the box.