Apple Increases Use Of Recycled Materials In Its Products, Adds Recycled Gold For The First Time

Last Updated on April 20, 2022 by Anu Joy

Ahead of Earth Day, Apple shared details about its recycling program. The iPhone maker said that nearly 20 percent recycled materials were used in Apple products in 2021. This makes it the highest-ever use of recycled matter by the firm. It has also started using recycled gold, and doubled the use of recycled tungsten, rare earth elements, and cobalt—a first for the company.

Apple Recycling Robots

Apple also showcased its newest recycling gadget dubbed “Taz”, which “uses a ground breaking approach to improve material recovery from traditional electronics recycling”. The machine uses a shredder-like technology which helps extract magnets from audio modules and retrieve more rare earth elements.

Apple’s patented iPhone disassembly robot “Daisy” has been upgraded to dismantle 23 iPhone models. The firm has one more robot in its arsenal, christened “Dave”. It takes apart Taptic Engines to salvage precious rare earth magnets, tungsten, and steel.

List Of Recycled Materials Used By Apple

The iPhone maker’s report details that 59 percent of the aluminium used in its products originated from recycled sources. Apple claims that since 2015, it has reduced the use of plastic in its packaging by 75 percent. Plastics reportedly made up just 4 percent of its packaging in 2021.

Interestingly, certified recycled gold made its debut in Apple products this year. The precious metal made its way to the main logic board plating and the wire in the cameras of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro. Additionally, the company says that its 2021 products included 45 percent recycled rare earth elements, 30 percent recycled tin, and 13 percent recycled cobalt.

Apple 2022 Environmental Progress Report

Apple also released its 2022 Environmental Progress Report which states that the company has been carbon neutral for across the globe since 2020. It further notes that it has been solely dependent on renewable energy to power its offices and stores since 2018.

“As of this month, 213 of the company’s major manufacturing partners have pledged to power all Apple production with renewable electricity across 25 countries. In 2021, these renewable projects avoided 13.9 million metric tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent to removing 3 million cars from the road for one year”, Apple says in its report.

One More Thing…

To celebrate Earth Day, Apple Fitness+ subscribers will be treated to nature-inspired yoga, cycling, rowing, and more. Additionally, they will get to enjoy a new Time to Run episode that will feature the sounds of Yosemite National Park. A new episode of Time to Walk will be released this week starring noted scientist and environmentalist, Dr. Jane Goodall. Apple Watch users who manage to work out for more than 30 minutes on April 22 will get a limited-edition award.