Progress report: Apple’s push to use recycled aluminum, rare earths and 13 other materials

Apple’s efforts to use recycled or renewable sources for 15 priority materials, such as aluminum, rare earths, and lithium, have resulted in significant reductions in emissions during manufacturing processes. According to the 2025 Apple Environmental Progress Report released on April 16, Apple has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent since 2015 and aims for a 75 percent reduction by 2030. This reduction, from 22.6 million metric tons to 15.1 million, coincided with a 65 percent increase in revenue to $391 billion.

Renewable electricity investments contributed to much of Apple’s emission reductions, but sourcing recycled and low-carbon materials helped the company avoid 6.2 million metric tons of emissions in 2024. Recycled materials made up 24 percent of the materials in Apple products that year, with the MacBook Air containing the highest percentage at 55 percent. Apple is concentrating on 15 priority materials in its transition to recycled content, representing 87 percent of its production by mass.

Apple’s use of recycled aluminum, for instance, has led to a 76 percent reduction in related emissions since 2015. Recycled aluminum is utilized in various Apple products, such as the Apple Watch series, Mac mini, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPads, and iPhones. The company also invests in Elysis, a Canadian venture working on a zero-emission aluminum smelting process.

Apple has set near-term goals for recycled materials, including achieving 99 percent recycled cobalt for batteries, 99 percent recycled sources for tin soldering and gold plating, and 99 percent recycled rare earth elements for magnets. The company has made significant progress in using recycled gold, with 40 percent of materials in all products sourced from recycled gold in 2024, up from 1 percent in 2021.

While Apple’s usage of recycled content has increased, challenges remain, including technical concerns, limited supply availability, origin tracing data, and regulatory barriers. Apple emphasizes the need for a collective response to address these challenges and further increase the use of recycled materials.