On April 16, 2026, Apple officially announced that it has achieved its highest-ever recycling rate. The tech giant’s annual Environmental Progress Report reveals that exactly 30 percent of the materials used in its products shipped in 2025 came from recycled sources. The report also details the complete phase-out of plastic packaging, industry-leading water conservation strategies, and the deployment of next-generation electronics recycling systems that could fundamentally transform global waste management.
Setting a New Benchmark in Sustainable Component Manufacturing
Alongside achieving the 30 percent overall rate, Apple also recorded unprecedented results at the specific component level in 2025. According to the report’s data, all batteries designed by Apple are now made with 100 percent recycled cobalt, while the magnets inside the devices contain, without exception, 100 percent recycled rare earth elements.
Hardware refinement extends to the circuit board level as well: for Apple-designed printed circuit boards, both the gold plating and tin soldering are made entirely from 100 percent recycled materials, strictly adhering to human rights and environmental standards.
Farewell to Plastic: 100 Percent Fiber-Based Packaging
The company has fulfilled its previous strategic goal to completely eliminate plastic from its packaging by 2025. Today, every single Apple box manufactured is made from 100 percent fiber-based materials (responsibly sourced or recycled paper). The innovation also extended to the packaging structure: the largest boxes, such as the packaging for the new Studio Display XDR, are designed to fold flat easily so they can fit effortlessly into home recycling bins.
The statistics are staggering: over the past five years alone, Apple has avoided the use of more than 15,000 metric tons of plastic, which is roughly equivalent to 500 million standard (30-gram) plastic water bottles.
Apple 2030 and Emission Reduction Achievements
Regarding these milestones, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated:
“At Apple, we believe deeply in leaving the world better than we found it, and that commitment runs across everything we do. These milestones in our work to protect the planet show that ambitious goals can also be powerful engines of innovation.”
The company is making steady progress toward its “Apple 2030” program, which aims to become carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of the decade. The report confirms that the company’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 remained down over 60 percent compared to the 2015 baseline year, successfully maintaining its 2024 levels despite significant business growth.
The Lowest Carbon Footprint Device: The MacBook Neo
Introduced earlier this year, the MacBook Neo is the company’s lowest-carbon computer to date. The device is built with 60 percent recycled content overall (including 100 percent recycled cobalt and rare earth elements).
During manufacturing, a material-efficient forming process is utilized, which reduces the raw material used by half compared to traditional machining methods. Another industry breakthrough is the newly developed enhanced anodization process, which achieved a 70 percent water-reuse rate, transforming a previously highly water-intensive machining phase into a closed-loop system.
Revolutionary Technologies in Waste Management: Cora and A.R.I.S.
To maximize the materials recovered from end-of-life devices, Apple has activated completely new systems. At the Advanced Recovery Center in California, they launched a new electronics-recycling line called “Cora,” designed and built in the U.S., which uses precision shredding and advanced sensor technology to achieve material recovery rates significantly higher than industry baselines.
Additionally, they developed a detection system powered by machine learning named “A.R.I.S.”. Running on Mac mini computers, this software helps partner recyclers accurately classify and sort electronic scrap.
Water Conservation and Renewable Energy
The data also show a significant scale in optimizing global energy and water usage:
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Water Conservation: Over the past year, Apple and its suppliers saved a total of 17 billion gallons of fresh water, equivalent to the volume of more than 25,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. During 2025, the company replenished more than 800 million gallons (over half of the amount used) back into the environment. Furthermore, all eight Apple-owned data centers have now received certification under the Alliance for Water Stewardship standard.
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Renewable Energy: Direct suppliers procured more than 20 gigawatts of renewable energy in 2025, generating 38 million megawatt-hours of electricity—enough to power more than 3.4 million U.S. households for a year. Apple itself procured an additional 1.8 gigawatts to ensure 100 percent clean energy supply for its offices, retail stores, and data centers.
Earth Day Promotion and Independent Certifications
In celebration of Earth Day, the company announced that customers who trade in an eligible Apple product for free recycling at participating Apple Store locations by May 16, 2026, will receive a 10 percent discount on a new pair of AirPods or an accessory. The surrendered devices—after thorough screening—are processed by Apple’s advanced robots, including the Daisy and Cora systems.
In the spirit of transparency, the report notes that Apple calculates recycled content in accordance with the strict ISO 14021 standard. In addition, all established final-assembly supplier facilities for major products (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, etc.) were verified by a third party, UL Solutions. These factories fully complied with the UL 2799 Zero Waste to Landfill Environmental Claim Validation Procedure, which requires that at least 90 percent of waste be diverted through methods other than waste-to-energy.
Reference and Official Source:
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Original source (Apple Newsroom): Apple accelerates progress with highest-ever recycled material in its products (April 16, 2026)
