With this year’s launch of MacBook Neo, featuring 60 percent recycled content overall, and other key environmental milestones, Apple is making steady gains toward its ambitious goal to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by 2030. Photo: Apple

Apple Hits Sustainability Milestones with Record Use of Recycled Materials

To celebrate Earth Day, Apple is encouraging customers to participate in its recycling program.

RMN Digital Environment Desk
New Delhi | April 17, 2026

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA — Apple has announced a major leap in its environmental initiatives, revealing that 30 percent of all materials used in products shipped during 2025 came from recycled sources. This record-breaking achievement was detailed in the company’s 2025 Environmental Progress Report as part of its “Apple 2030” strategy to become carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of the decade.

Innovations in Materials and Packaging

The company reached several key material targets last year, including the use of 100 percent recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets. Furthermore, Apple successfully fulfilled its pledge to eliminate plastic from its packaging, transitioning entirely to 100 percent fiber-based materials. This move has allowed the company to avoid more than 15,000 metric tons of plastic over the last five years.

“At Apple, we believe deeply in leaving the world better than we found it,” said CEO Tim Cook. He noted that these milestones prove “ambitious goals can also be powerful engines of innovation”.

The MacBook Neo and Next-Gen Recycling

Central to this year’s progress is the launch of the MacBook Neo, which Apple describes as its lowest-carbon laptop to date. The device features 60 percent recycled content overall, the highest of any Apple product, and utilizes a new material-efficient forming process that halves the amount of raw material required during manufacturing.

To support these material goals, Apple is deploying advanced recovery technology, such as Cora, a new electronics-recycling line in California. Cora uses precision shredding and sensors to recover materials at rates significantly higher than industry standards, while a new machine-learning system called A.R.I.S. helps recyclers sort electronic scrap more efficiently.

Renewable Energy and Water Stewardship

Apple’s environmental efforts extend beyond hardware into its global operations:

Clean Energy: Apple and its suppliers procured over 20 gigawatts of renewable energy in 2025, enough to power 3.4 million U.S. homes for a year.
Greenhouse Gases: Emissions remain down by over 60 percent compared to 2015 levels, despite significant business growth.
Water Conservation: The company replenished more than half of the fresh water it withdrew for corporate operations and saved 17 billion gallons through supplier partnerships.

Zero Waste and Earth Day Incentives

In a retail milestone, the Apple Fifth Avenue location became the company’s first store to achieve TRUE Zero Waste Certification, diverting over 90 percent of its waste from landfills.

To celebrate Earth Day, Apple is encouraging customers to participate in its recycling program. From now until May 16, 2026, users who bring an eligible device to a participating Apple Store for recycling can receive 10 percent off new AirPods or accessories. Devices that cannot be refurbished are sent to advanced recycling systems like Daisy and Cora to ensure materials are recovered for future use.