Apple doubles down on green efforts to reach carbon-neutral goal by 2030

New milestones include removing plastic from packaging, using 100 percent recycled cobalt in Apple-designed batteries, and replenishing more than half of Apple’s corporate water use.

In July 2020, Apple had a very ambitious target of turning carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle by 2030.

Over the years, Apple has stayed committed to its efforts, including pledging protection to giant Redwood tree forests in California, collaborating with various non-governmental organisations worldwide, including in India, to address potable water issues in remote regions, and more, in addition to increasing the use of recycled materials in its products, run operations on renewable power.

It should be noted that Apple's global corporate offices and stores are completely run on green energy. Last year, Apple reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent compared to 2015.

Apple's several Watches from Series 9 and newer models are carbon-neutral products, a first of their kind.

Like the previous years, just a week before Earth Day (April 22), the Cupertino-based technology major has released its latest Environmental Progress Report, revealing it has reached several milestones and is on track to reach its big goal.

Apple Environment Report 2025.

Here are key pointers of Apple's Environment Report:

-- For the first time, a record 30 per cent of material used across all of Apple's products shipped in 2025 was made from recycled content.

All batteries designed by Apple for its products are made with 100 per cent recycled cobalt, and all magnets are made with 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements, each representing more than 95 per cent of the company’s use of the two materials, the company noted.

Apple also met its goals to use 100 per cent recycled gold plating and tin soldering in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards. And, all Apple products now ship in 100 per cent fibre-based packaging.

Apple's latest MacBook Neo is one of the most eco-friendly MacBooks to date. It features 60 per cent recycled content overall. MacBook Neo has the most recycled content of any Apple device yet, including 100 per cent recycled cobalt in the battery and 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements in all.

-- Apple Watch Ultra 3 and titanium Apple Watch Series 11 cases are 3D printed with 100 per cent recycled aerospace-grade titanium powder — saving more than 400 metric tons of raw titanium

-- Through recycling, composting, and waste reduction efforts across all of its global facilities, Apple reached a waste diversion rate of 75 per cent in 2025

Earlier this year, Apple Fifth Avenue became the company’s first-ever retail store to achieve TRUE Zero Waste Certification, which recognises facilities that divert more than 90 per cent of their waste from landfills

-- Apple has set up large units in Austin, Texas (US) and Breda (Netherlands), housing 'Daisy robots', which can disassemble 36 iPhone models to recover more material inside. Each unit can process 1.2 million iPhones per year.

As part of Apple’s Earth Day celebration, customers who recycle an eligible Apple product at their local participating Apple Store from now until May 16 can receive 10 per cent off Apple AirPods or accessories (offer available to customers who recycle an eligible Apple device and purchase a new eligible AirPods or accessory in the same transaction between April 16 and May 16, 2026. Only at Apple Store locations.

-- Apple has launched Cora, a next-generation electronics-recycling line located at the Advanced Recovery Centre in California. Cora uses precision shredding and advanced sensor technology to achieve material recovery rates that are significantly higher than industry baselines. Apple has also developed A.R.I.S. (Automated Recycling Identification System), a new detection system powered by machine learning, to help recyclers efficiently classify and sort electronic scrap. Leveraging the A.R.I.S. software, which runs on a Mac mini, Apple is piloting new, industry-deployable recycling tools with partner recyclers to more regions.

-- In 2025, Apple sold 15.6 million refurbished devices and accessories to new owners for reuse, extending their lifetime.

-- Under the Supplier Clean Water Programme (UCWP), Apple suppliers are reusing water in their factories at an average rate of 43 per cent. The company reportedly saved 17B gallons of freshwater in 2025.

-- Under the Supplier Clean Energy Programme, Apple's partners used 20 gigawatts of renewable energy to generate more than 38 million megawatt-hours of electricity in 2025. That’s enough clean electricity to power more than 3.4 million US households for a year.

Apple also procured an additional 1.8 gigawatts of renewable energy to power its offices, retail stores, and data centres with 100 per cent renewable electricity.

And, the company is advancing toward its Apple 2030 goal by enabling new renewable energy projects around the world to help match the energy customers use to charge and power their Apple products with 100 per cent clean electricity.

-- Soon, Apple aims to reduce emissions across our entire value chain by 75 per cent compared to 2015, which was when Apple's emissions peaked.

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