Apple says all magnets in its devices are made from 99% recycled rare earths, helping to reduce emissions.
The new environmental milestones were announced on Earth Day (April 22). Along with rare earths, the company also said that 99% of the cobalt in its batteries is recycled, close to its previously set goal of 100% for both by the end of 2025.
Magnets are the most-used rare earth component in Apple’s overall product mix. Meanwhile, Apple-designed batteries account for over 97% of the company’s total cobalt use.
Rare earths and cobalt are major polluters, primarily due to mining. Using recycled materials reduces the environmental impact of manufacturing and saves resources and costs in the long run. Recently, the electric car market has also researched motors that do not use magnets to limit the use of rare earths in the production process.
In addition, Apple also announced that it has reduced its global greenhouse gas emissions by 60% compared to 2015, not far from its goal of 75% by 2030. This is part of an effort to be carbon neutral across its entire business over the next five years. The company also uses clean energy from suppliers, including 17.8 gigawatts of renewable electricity used in its global supply chain, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 17% compared to the previous year.
With the supply chain, the iPhone maker is also looking to reduce the impact of industrial processes on the climate. Among them, the semiconductor and flat panel display manufacturing processes are the top concern as they both emit extremely strong fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-GHG), about 8.4 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2024. Currently, 26 direct semiconductor suppliers to the company have committed to reducing at least 90% of F-GHG from facilities with Apple-related manufacturing activities by 2030. In addition, 100% of the company's direct display suppliers have made similar commitments.
In Vietnam, Apple's supply chain is using clean energy mainly from wind and solar power. The company also invests in CO2 absorption and clean electricity projects to "erase its carbon footprint," such as providing clean water for more than 38,000 students in Hoa Binh through rainwater collection and filtration technology, as well as the Power for Impact initiative to provide renewable electricity to many schools in remote areas.
Earlier this year, the company introduced the MacBook Air, which is made up of more than 55% recycled content, the highest percentage of any company product. In October 2024, the company also introduced the Mac mini, the first carbon-neutral Mac.