Apple to use only recycled cobalt in its batteries by 2025

With a deadline of 2025, Apple has set a fresh goal to speed up the usage of recycled materials in its products. All batteries made by Apple will be made wholly of reused cobalt. This is a part of Apple’s ongoing efforts, which it began last year, to reuse gold, tungsten, cobalt, and other materials in its products. From what we can see at the moment, it appears that the company is making good progress.

Apple’s Progress in its attempt to use only recyclable materials

Metals

With over two-thirds of aluminium, almost three – quarters of rare earth, and over 95 per cent of tungsten in Apple products coming from 100 per cent recycled sources, the company increased its use of recycled metals in 2022. This boosts Apple’s goal of using only recycled and renewable materials in all of its products. It also brings the company one step closer to meeting its 2030 goal of having zero carbon emissions.

Apple wants to use only recycled rare earth metals in its device magnets by the year 2025. It also wants to employ 100% certified recycled rare earth metals in all of the magnets in its 2022 iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and Mac models. The company is upping its current usage of these metals from 45% to 73%. As a result, soon almost all rare earth metals used in Apple products will be reused fully. All printed circuit boards made by Apple, notably all core logic boards, will have 100 per cent recycled tin solder and 100 per cent reused gold plating by 2025.

Apple will change a lot in 2025

By 2025, Apple intends to use only certified recycled gold plating on all of its printed circuit boards. The iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and HomePod all have rigid and flexible boards. Apple is trying to promote the usage of recycled gold in the electronics sector. This is in addition to already using it in a variety of parts and products, such as the wiring in every camera in the iPhone 14 series.

By 2025, Apple wants to have all of its circuit boards soldered solely with recycled tin. With 38 per cent of all tin used in 2022 coming from recycled sources, Apple has already raised the amount of recycled tin used in the solder of flexible printed circuit boards across all of its goods. The company will add some of its vendors in its efforts to use recycled tin in more parts. By 2025, all batteries created by Apple will be made entirely of recycled cobalt, and all rare earth magnets used in Apple products will be made entirely of recycled materials.

Apple Says NO to Plastics

Plastic will not be used in Apple’s packing, as part of its pledge. Apple has made gains towards this goal, thanks to the creation of fibre substitutes for packaging components. Apple removed most labels in 2022. It printed directly on the outer shells of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.

Also, it swapped a new varnish for plastic lamination on the cases of the iPad Air, iPad Pro, and Apple Watch Series 8 models. Over 1,100 tonnes of plastic and over 2,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide have been avoided due to these changes. By using more recycled metals, rare earth elements, gold plating, and tin solder in its products, Apple has made giant strides towards its environmental protection goals.

Also, the company is rapidly trying to stop using plastic in its packaging. These efforts show Apple’s dedication to environmental sustainability and its goal to create more environmentally friendly and sustainable products. Apple is making headway towards its 2025 goal of fully killing plastic from its packaging. From the look of its efforts so far, the company will meet its target.

Apple will avoid using newfound minerals

Apple is aiding mining – dependent regions and cutting its reliance on new minerals. In locations like the African Great Lakes, it has deals with groups like the Fund for Global Human Rights to support environmental and human rights activists. This is to assist local people in moving away from mining. The company now also invests in programmes for vocational education.

Apple ensures ethical primary mineral sourcing across its supply chain. For its battery supply chain, it was the first electronics brand to disclose a list of cobalt and lithium refiners. All known tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold smelters and refiners have taken part in independent audits since 2015.

Transition to Recycled Materials

The company values 14 elements based on their impact on the planet, human rights, and supply. These account for close to 90% of the materials shipped in its products. About 20% of the materials used in its products in 2022 are from recycled sources. This includes the usage of 100% recycled tungsten, certified recycled steel, and recycled copper foil in a variety of its goods. Daisy, The company’s disassembly robot, can identify specific iPhone models inside the company’s Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas, and can then decide what steps to take.

What’s for the Future? 

Apple is a leader in finding novel methods for reusing its products after they are no longer needed. Its iPhone disassembly robot, Daisy, extracts cobalt and lithium from batteries, with over 11,000 kg of cobalt thought to have been salvaged since 2019. The company’s Dave robot in China speeds up the recovery of rare earth elements even further. In order to make gadget disassembly and to promote efficiency and safety, Apple uses AR tech and provides recyclers guidelines. According to Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, the company makes tech that can aid people on the planet. In doing this, it also cares for the safety of the planet.