Apple hit record recycled material use and other environmental milestones according to its annual Environmental Progress Report, the iPhone giant said Thursday. In 2025, 30% of the material in all Apple products shipped came from recycled sources — a record.
Apple hits record recycled material use, eliminates plastic from packaging
Timed to Earth Day, Apple’s notes said its latest Environmental Progress Report covers progress across materials, packaging, energy, water and waste reduction as the iPhone giant works toward its Apple 2030 goal: carbon neutrality across its entire footprint by the end of the decade. The company says its greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 remain more than 60% below 2015 levels, a figure that held steady even as the business grew significantly last year.
Recycled materials reach new highs
Photo: Apple
Beyond the overall 30% figure, Apple has now reached 100% recycled cobalt in all batteries it designs, 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100% recycled gold plating and tin soldering in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards.
The company’s newest laptop, MacBook Neo, was built to be Apple’s lowest-carbon MacBook to date. It features 60% recycled content overall — the highest of any Apple product. And it incorporates a manufacturing process that uses half the raw material of traditional machining methods. A new anodization process developed for the device achieves a 70% water-reuse rate, turning what is typically a water-intensive step into a closed-loop system.
Plastic removed from all packaging
Photo: Apple
Apple also confirmed it has completed its pledge to eliminate plastic from packaging by 2025. All Apple product packaging is now made from fiber-based materials that can be recycled at home.
Over the past decade, Apple engineers replaced plastic screen protectors, trays, and other components with paper-based alternatives. The company says it has avoided more than 15,000 metric tons of plastic over the past five years — roughly equivalent to 500 million plastic water bottles.
New recycling technology launches
Photo: Apple
Apple introduced Cora, a new recycling line at its Advanced Recovery Center in California. Designed and built in the US, Cora uses precision shredding and sensor technology to recover materials from old devices. And it does so at rates the company says significantly exceed industry baselines.
Apple also developed A.R.I.S., a machine learning-based detection system that runs on Mac mini. It helps recyclers classify and sort electronic scrap more efficiently.
Energy, water and waste-diversion progress
Photo: Apple/Andrea Craig, TNC
Apple’s direct suppliers procured more than 20 gigawatts of renewable energy last year through the company’s Supplier Clean Energy Program. That’s enough electricity to power more than 3.4 million US households for a year. Apple itself added 1.8 gigawatts of renewable energy for its own offices, stores and data centers.
Regarding water use, Apple and its suppliers saved 17 billion gallons of fresh water in 2025. The company says its contracted water projects replenished more than half of the fresh water it withdrew for its own global operations. That includes offices, data centers and retail stores. All eight Apple-owned data centers are now certified to the Alliance for Water Stewardship standard.
Apple reached a 75% waste diversion rate across its facilities in 2025. The Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York became the company’s first retail store to earn TRUE Zero Waste Certification. It requires diverting more than 90% of waste from landfills.
Apple hits record recycled material use: Earth Day offer
To mark Earth Day, Apple is offering customers who recycle an eligible device at a participating Apple Store through May 16 a 10% discount on AirPods or accessories with a same-transaction purchase.
Devices brought in for recycling are screened and routed to Apple’s advanced recycling systems. See apple.com/promo for additional terms.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
