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Apple Reports 30% Recycled Material in 2025 Products, Achieves Packaging and Battery Goals

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Apple Reports 30% Recycled Content in 2025 Products, Details Environmental Progress

Apple announced that 30% of the material in all products it shipped during the 2025 calendar year was sourced from recycled content.

The announcement, part of the company's annual Environmental Progress Report released on April 16, 2026, detailed progress across several environmental initiatives. This included the achievement of 100% recycled cobalt in its designed batteries and the complete removal of plastic from product packaging.

Material and Packaging Milestones

Apple reported achieving several specific material usage targets for products shipped in 2025:

  • All batteries designed by Apple now use 100% recycled cobalt.
  • All magnets in Apple products use 100% recycled rare earth elements.
  • All Apple-designed printed circuit boards use 100% recycled gold plating and tin soldering.

The company completed its transition to 100% fiber-based packaging for newly manufactured products, removing plastic components like screen protectors and trays. Apple stated this change avoided more than 15,000 metric tons of plastic over the past five years.

Definitions and Clarifications

  • Apple defines recycled content in alignment with the ISO 14021 standard.
  • The 30% recycled material calculation excludes inventory designated for replacement, repair, and a small amount of excess inventory purchased prior to year-end.
  • The plastic removal goal excluded inks, coatings, or adhesives used in packaging. A small percentage of existing inventory with plastic-containing packaging will be sold to avoid waste, which Apple stated represented less than 0.4% of its total packaging footprint in fiscal year 2025.

Environmental Performance Metrics

The Environmental Progress Report included several key metrics for 2025:

  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Apple's emissions remained over 60% lower than 2015 levels, a figure consistent with 2024 despite business growth.
  • Water Stewardship: Apple and its suppliers saved an estimated 17 billion gallons of fresh water. The company's contracted water replenishment projects restored more than half of the fresh water withdrawn to support its global corporate operations.
  • Waste Diversion: Apple reached a 75% waste diversion rate across its global corporate facilities. Across its supply chain, Apple and its suppliers redirected over 600,000 metric tons of waste from landfills.
  • Renewable Energy: Apple's direct suppliers procured more than 20 gigawatts of renewable energy through the Supplier Clean Energy Program. Apple procured an additional 1.8 gigawatts of renewable energy to power its corporate offices, retail stores, and data centers.

New Technology and Product Developments

Apple highlighted several new initiatives and products:

  • Cora: A new electronics-recycling line launched at the company's Advanced Recovery Center in California, utilizing precision shredding and sensor technology.
  • A.R.I.S.: A machine learning-powered detection system developed to help recyclers classify and sort electronic scrap.
  • MacBook Neo: A MacBook launched earlier in 2026, which Apple describes as its lowest-carbon MacBook. The device features 60% recycled content overall and was manufactured using a new anodization process that achieved a 70% water-reuse rate.
  • Facility Certifications: The Apple Fifth Avenue retail store in New York became the company's first retail location to achieve TRUE Zero Waste Certification. All eight Apple-owned data centers have been certified to the Alliance for Water Stewardship standard.

Executive Statements

"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."
— Tim Cook, Apple CEO

"Across every part of our business, we’re showing how innovation and collaboration can turn big ideas and bold ambitions into measurable progress. From expanding recycled material to removing plastic from our packaging, we’re setting new benchmarks."
— Sabih Khan, Apple Chief Operating Officer

Earth Day Promotion

Concurrent with the report, Apple announced an Earth Day promotion. From April 16 to May 16, 2026, customers who recycle an eligible Apple product at a participating Apple Store location can receive a 10% discount on Apple AirPods or accessories.

Note: The company's announcement contained forward-looking statements regarding environmental goals, targets, commitments, and strategies. Apple noted that these statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual future results may differ materially.