How Apple Builds Products with Recycled Materials

April 17, 2026 | 01:13 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tech company Apple has set a new record in the use of recycled materials in its products. In 2025, about 30 percent of the materials used in its products came from recycled sources

The newly launched Apple Environmental Progress Report states that recycled materials have been used in several key components. All batteries designed by the Cupertino-based company now use 100 percent recycled cobalt.

In addition, all magnets in the devices are made from 100 percent recycled rare earth elements, which account for over 95 percent of the company's use of these materials. Other goals have been met as well, such as using 100 percent recycled gold coatings and soldering recycled tin on all Apple-designed printed circuit boards.

Efforts to reduce plastic usage have expanded to include the packaging sector. Now, all products are shipped in 100 percent fiber-based packaging, free of plastic. Over the past five years, this initiative has helped avoid more than 15,000 metric tons of plastic, equivalent to around 500 million plastic water bottles. All wood fibers in the packaging also come from recycled materials or responsibly managed forests.

The use of recycled materials in production is part of the company's strategy to reduce carbon emissions. The company aims to reduce emissions by up to 75 percent compared to 2015 levels by the end of this decade. Despite a business scale growth of over 75 percent, emissions have been reduced by over 60 percent by 2025.

Various approaches are used to reduce emissions, including increased use of recycled and low-carbon materials, 100 percent renewable electricity usage in manufacturing, and energy efficiency in product usage. Emissions from transportation are also reduced by shifting from air shipping to lower-carbon modes such as sea and rail.

The device reuse program has also been expanded. In 2025, 15.6 million devices and accessories were returned to new users, extending the products' lifespans.

In terms of products, the MacBook Neo is an example of a device with a lower carbon footprint. This product contains 60 percent recycled materials, including 90 percent recycled aluminum and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery. The production process is designed to be more efficient by using significantly less aluminum than conventional methods.

Read: Apple's Rumored First Foldable May Launch as 'iPhone Ultra'

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