Apple to use 100 per cent recycled cobalt in its batteries by 2025

Apple has announced it will use 100 per cent recycled cobalt in all its own company-designed batteries by 2025.

Additionally, magnets in Apple devices will use entirely recycled rare earth elements by 2025, and all Apple-designed printed circuit boards (PCBs) will use 100 per cent recycled tin soldering and 100 per cent recycled gold plating.

In 2022, the company significantly expanded its use of key recycled metals, and now sources over two-thirds of all aluminium, nearly three-quarters of all rare earths, and more than 95 per cent of all tungsten in Apple products from recycled material.

"From the recycled materials in our products, to the clean energy that powers our operations, our environmental work is integral to everything we make and to who we are," said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

"So we'll keep pressing forward in the belief that great technology should be great for our users, and for the environment," he added.

This rapid progress brings Apple closer to its aim to one day make all products with only recycled and renewable materials, and advances the company's 2030 goal to make every product carbon neutral.

"Our ambition to one day use 100 per cent recycled and renewable materials in our products works hand in hand with Apple 2030: our goal to achieve carbon neutral products by 2030," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives.

In 2022, a quarter of all cobalt found in Apple products came from recycled material, up from 13 per cent the previous year. Apple-designed batteries found in iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, and many other products represent a significant majority of the company's use of cobalt.

Apple's use of 100 per cent certified-recycled rare earth elements has greatly expanded in the last year as well, going from 45 per cent in 2021 to 73 per cent in 2022.

Apple first introduced recycled rare earths in the Taptic Engine of iPhone 11.

As part of the accelerated new timeline, all Apple-designed PCBs will use 100 per cent certified-recycled gold plating by 2025, said the company.

By 2025, the company will use 100 per cent certified-recycled tin soldering on all Apple-designed rigid and flexible PCBs.