https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/04/apple-will-use-100-percent-recycled-cobalt-in-batteries-by-2025/ * * Exit * Apple * + Store + Mac + iPad + iPhone + Watch + AirPods + TV & Home + Entertainment + Accessories + Support * [ ] * 0+ [ ] Newsroom Open Newsroom navigation Close Newsroom navigation * [ ] Search Newsroom * Popular Topics * Popular Topics + AirPods + App Store + Apple Arcade + Apple TV+ + Company News + Education + Environment + Events + Health + iPad + iPhone + Mac + Music + Store News + TV & Home + Watch AirPods App Store Apple Arcade Apple TV+ Company News Education Environment Events Health iPad iPhone Mac Music Store News TV & Home Watch opens in new window Apple Newsroom needs your permission to enable desktop notifications when new articles are published PRESS RELEASE April 13, 2023 Apple will use 100 percent recycled cobalt in batteries by 2025 Industry-leading innovation paves new path for key recycled metals in batteries, magnets, and circuit boards * * * * [https://nr.apple.com] Apple's iPhone disassembly robot, Daisy, is one of many innovations advancing progress toward the company's goal of using only recycled and renewable materials in its products. Extensive design qualification, product engineering, and supply chain expertise have brought Apple closer to this goal than ever before. Cupertino, California Apple today announced a major acceleration of its work to expand recycled materials across its products, including a new 2025 target to use 100 percent recycled cobalt^1 in all Apple-designed batteries. Additionally, by 2025, magnets in Apple devices will use entirely recycled rare earth elements, and all Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use 100 percent recycled tin soldering and 100 percent recycled gold plating. In 2022, the company significantly expanded its use of key recycled metals, and now sources over two-thirds of all aluminum, nearly three-quarters of all rare earths, and more than 95 percent of all tungsten in Apple products from 100 percent recycled material. 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. "Every day, Apple is innovating to make technology that enriches people's lives, while protecting the planet we all share," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "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. So we'll keep pressing forward in the belief that great technology should be great for our users, and for the environment." "Our ambition to one day use 100 percent 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. "We're working toward both goals with urgency and advancing innovation across our entire industry in the process." * Main logic boards from Apple devices are shown. * Recovered tungsten components from Daisy robot disassembly process. Main logic boards from Apple devices are shown. By 2025, all Apple-designed printed circuit boards, including all main logic boards, will have 100 percent recycled gold plating and 100 percent recycled tin soldering. Recovered tungsten components from Daisy robot disassembly process. In 2022, Apple significantly expanded its use of key recycled metals, and now sources more than 95 percent of all tungsten in Apple products from 100 percent recycled material. * previous * next Charting Progress to 2025 Apple has significantly expanded the use of 100 percent certified recycled cobalt over the past three years, making it possible to include in all Apple-designed batteries by 2025. In 2022, a quarter of all cobalt found in Apple products came from recycled material, up from 13 percent the previous year. Cobalt is a critical material in the batteries used in most consumer electronics, including Apple devices, enabling high energy density while also meeting Apple's robust standards for longevity and safety. Apple-designed batteries found in iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and many other products represent a significant majority of the company's use of cobalt. iPhone components -- including an Apple-designed lithium-ion battery -- recovered by Daisy, Apple's pioneering disassembly robot. By 2025, all Apple-designed batteries will be made with 100 percent recycled cobalt, and magnets in Apple devices will use 100 percent recycled rare earth elements. The company's use of 100 percent certified recycled rare earth elements has greatly expanded in the last year as well, going from 45 percent in 2021 to 73 percent in 2022. Since first introducing recycled rare earths in the Taptic Engine of iPhone 11, Apple has expanded its use of the material across its devices, including in all magnets found in the latest iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and Mac models. As magnets are by far Apple's largest use of rare earths, the new 2025 target means nearly all rare earths in Apple products will soon be 100 percent recycled. * A close-up photo of raw terbium. * A close-up photo of raw dysprosium. * A close-up photo of raw neodymium praseodymium alloy. A close-up photo of raw terbium. Rare earth terbium metal. A close-up photo of raw dysprosium. Rare earth dysprosium metal. A close-up photo of raw neodymium praseodymium alloy. Rare earth neodymium praseodymium alloy. * previous * next As part of the accelerated new timeline, all Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use 100 percent certified recycled gold plating by 2025. This includes rigid boards, such as the main logic board, and flexible boards, like those connecting to the cameras or buttons in iPhone. Since pioneering an exclusively recycled supply chain for gold in the plating of the main logic board for iPhone 13, Apple has extended the material's use in additional components and products, including the wire of all cameras in the iPhone 14 lineup, and printed circuit boards of iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and HomePod. Apple is also working to encourage broader adoption of recycled gold for non-custom components across the electronics industry. * The iPhone 14 family -- iPhone Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 14 -- is shown. * iPad (10th generation) is shown in silver, yellow, pink, and blue. * Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch SE are shown. * AirPods Pro (2nd generation) is shown in close-up form. * MacBook Pro with M2 and MacBook Pro with M2 Max are shown. * Mac mini with M2 is shown in close-up. * HomePod is shown in midnight in close-up. The iPhone 14 family -- iPhone Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 14 -- is shown. The iPhone 14 lineup is designed with 100 percent recycled rare earth elements used in all magnets, 100 percent recycled tungsten in the Taptic Engine, 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of multiple printed circuit boards, and 100 percent recycled gold in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards. iPad (10th generation) is shown in silver, yellow, pink, and blue. iPad (10th generation) includes 100 percent recycled gold in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards, 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of multiple printed circuit boards. Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch SE are shown. The latest Apple Watch lineup is designed with 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100 percent recycled tungsten in the Taptic Engine. AirPods Pro (2nd generation) is shown in close-up form. AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are made of 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100 percent recycled gold in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards. MacBook Pro with M2 and MacBook Pro with M2 Max are shown. MacBook Pro (14-inch and 16-inch) is designed with 100 percent rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100 percent recycled tin soldering and gold plating in multiple printed circuit boards. Mac mini with M2 is shown in close-up. Mac mini is designed with 100 percent rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100 percent recycled tin soldering and gold plating in multiple printed circuit boards. HomePod is shown in midnight in close-up. HomePod (2nd generation) includes 100 percent recycled gold in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in the speaker magnet. * previous * next By 2025, the company will use 100 percent certified recycled tin soldering on all Apple-designed printed rigid and flexible circuit boards. In recent years, Apple's use of recycled tin has expanded to the solder of many flexible printed circuit boards across Apple products, with 38 percent of all tin used last year coming from recycled sources. The application of recycled tin across even more components is underway, and the company is engaging more suppliers in this effort. Innovation has also driven progress toward another of Apple's 2025 commitments: to eliminate plastics from the company's packaging. The development of fiber alternatives for packaging components like screen films, wraps, and foam cushioning has kept Apple on track toward this ambitious goal. To address the remaining 4 percent plastic in the company's packaging footprint, Apple is innovating to replace labels, lamination, and other small uses. In the last year, Apple developed a custom printer to introduce digital printing directly onto the boxes of iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, eliminating the need for most labels. And a new overprint varnish found in iPad Air, iPad Pro, and Apple Watch Series 8 packaging replaces the polypropylene plastic lamination found on boxes and packaging components. The innovation helped avoid over 1,100 metric tons of plastic and over 2,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide. * A technician inspecting iPad Air packaging. * iPhone 14 Pro box with text printed directly onto the packaging. * A team inspects the packaging for iPad Air. A technician inspecting iPad Air packaging. Innovation at Apple is also driving progress toward its 2025 commitment to eliminate all plastic from packaging. iPhone 14 Pro box with text printed directly onto the packaging. To eliminate the need for most labels, Apple developed a custom printer to introduce digital printing directly onto the boxes of iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. A team inspects the packaging for iPad Air. A new overprint varnish found in iPad Air, iPad Pro, and Apple Watch Series 8 packaging has helped avoid over 1,100 metric tons of plastic and over 2,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide. * previous * next Progress in Responsible Sourcing of Primary and Recycled Materials As Apple reduces its reliance on newly mined minerals, it is also pursuing ways to directly support communities whose livelihoods depend on mining. The company is partnering with experts such as the Fund for Global Human Rights to provide support for frontline human rights and environmental defenders, including in the African Great Lakes region, as well as vocational education programs that enable members of local communities moving away from mining to build skills and pursue new opportunities. Apple sources primary minerals responsibly and drives the highest level of human rights and environmental standards across its supply chain. Apple was the first electronics company to publish a list of cobalt and lithium refiners in its battery supply chain, with cobalt in 2016 and lithium in 2020. In 2017, the company mapped its supply chain for rare earths. And since 2015, every identified smelter and refiner for tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold has participated in independent third-party audits. In the transition to recycled and renewable content, Apple has prioritized 14 materials based on environment, human rights, and supply impact that together account for nearly 90 percent of the material shipped in Apple products: aluminum, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, lithium, paper, plastics, rare earth elements, steel, tantalum, tin, tungsten, and zinc. In 2022, about 20 percent of all material shipped in Apple products came from recycled or renewable sources. This includes the first use of recycled copper foil in the main logic board of iPad (10th generation), the introduction of certified recycled steel in the battery tray of MacBook Air with the M2 chip, 100 percent recycled tungsten in the latest Apple Watch lineup, and the aluminum enclosures found in many Apple products, made with a 100 percent recycled aluminum alloy designed by Apple. Innovating for the Future of Recycling Apple's work to pioneer new research and development for end-of-life disassembly and recycling has helped make this progress possible. Through extensive efforts including partnerships with leading research institutions and the Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas, Apple engineers and experts are developing innovative ways to give materials in Apple products new life, and helping inform design decisions that support disassembly and recovery. * iPhone on the Daisy disassembly line at the Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas. * Daisy operators monitoring the Daisy disassembly robot at the Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas. * The Daisy disassembly robot holding an iPhone before it starts the disassembly process. * Material Recovery Lab operations leads working on the Daisy disassembly robot. * Recovered haptics components from the Daisy robot disassembly process. * Recovered cobalt printed circuit board components from Daisy robot disassembly process. iPhone on the Daisy disassembly line at the Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas. At Apple's Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas, Apple's disassembly robot Daisy is able to identify individual iPhone models to determine which actions to perform. Daisy operators monitoring the Daisy disassembly robot at the Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas. Apple engineers and experts are developing innovative ways to give materials in Apple products new life, and helping inform design decisions that support disassembly and recovery. The Daisy disassembly robot holding an iPhone before it starts the disassembly process. Daisy helps recover rare earth elements, which are largely lost through traditional electronics recycling processes. Material Recovery Lab operations leads working on the Daisy disassembly robot. At the Material Recovery Lab, engineers have expanded Daisy's capabilities, allowing the robot to take apart an even greater range of iPhone devices. Recovered haptics components from the Daisy robot disassembly process. Since first introducing recycled rare earths in the Taptic Engine of iPhone 11, Apple has expanded its use of the material across its devices, including in all magnets found in the latest iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and Mac models. Recovered cobalt printed circuit board components from Daisy robot disassembly process. Since 2019, Apple estimates that more than 11,000 kilograms of cobalt have been recovered from batteries extracted by Daisy and then returned to the secondary market. * previous * next The company's iPhone disassembly robot, Daisy, separates batteries from other components, and enables specialty recyclers to recover cobalt and other materials, including lithium. Since 2019, Apple estimates that more than 11,000 kilograms of cobalt have been recovered from batteries extracted by Daisy and then returned to the secondary market. Daisy also helps recover rare earth elements, which are largely lost through traditional electronics recycling processes. An overhead projector-based AR video showing a recycling partner how to remove the battery from a MacBook. Overhead projector-based augmented reality systems help Apple's recycling partners disassemble MacBook and iPad models by projecting video imagery directly onto their work surface. Daisy is just one example of how Apple's innovations in recycling and disassembly can drive industrywide change. The company's Dave robot, now deployed with a recycling partner in China, can help further accelerate recovery of rare earth elements by disassembling Taptic Engines. Apple has also begun deploying overhead projector-based augmented reality (AR) systems to recycling partners. The system guides the disassembly of devices including MacBook and iPad by projecting video imagery directly onto a work surface. The company publishes Apple Recycler Guides for global recyclers to maximize efficiency of material recovery while safeguarding human health and safety. As recycled and renewable materials can contribute to lowering each product's carbon footprint, enhanced recovery is also bringing Apple closer to its ambitious goal to be carbon neutral across its entire supply chain and the life cycle of every product by 2030. Share article * * * * [https://nr.apple.com] * Text of this article April 13, 2023 PRESS RELEASE Apple will use 100 percent recycled cobalt in batteries by 2025 Industry-leading innovation paves new path for key recycled metals in batteries, magnets, and circuit boards Cupertino, California Apple today announced a major acceleration of its work to expand recycled materials across its products, including a new 2025 target to use 100 percent recycled cobalt^1 in all Apple-designed batteries. Additionally, by 2025, magnets in Apple devices will use entirely recycled rare earth elements, and all Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use 100 percent recycled tin soldering and 100 percent recycled gold plating. In 2022, the company significantly expanded its use of key recycled metals, and now sources over two-thirds of all aluminum, nearly three-quarters of all rare earths, and more than 95 percent of all tungsten in Apple products from 100 percent recycled material. 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. "Every day, Apple is innovating to make technology that enriches people's lives, while protecting the planet we all share," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "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. So we'll keep pressing forward in the belief that great technology should be great for our users, and for the environment." "Our ambition to one day use 100 percent 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. "We're working toward both goals with urgency and advancing innovation across our entire industry in the process." Charting Progress to 2025 Apple has significantly expanded the use of 100 percent certified recycled cobalt over the past three years, making it possible to include in all Apple-designed batteries by 2025. In 2022, a quarter of all cobalt found in Apple products came from recycled material, up from 13 percent the previous year. Cobalt is a critical material in the batteries used in most consumer electronics, including Apple devices, enabling high energy density while also meeting Apple's robust standards for longevity and safety. Apple-designed batteries found in iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and many other products represent a significant majority of the company's use of cobalt. The company's use of 100 percent certified recycled rare earth elements has greatly expanded in the last year as well, going from 45 percent in 2021 to 73 percent in 2022. Since first introducing recycled rare earths in the Taptic Engine of iPhone 11, Apple has expanded its use of the material across its devices, including in all magnets found in the latest iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and Mac models. As magnets are by far Apple's largest use of rare earths, the new 2025 target means nearly all rare earths in Apple products will soon be 100 percent recycled. As part of the accelerated new timeline, all Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use 100 percent certified recycled gold plating by 2025. This includes rigid boards, such as the main logic board, and flexible boards, like those connecting to the cameras or buttons in iPhone. Since pioneering an exclusively recycled supply chain for gold in the plating of the main logic board for iPhone 13, Apple has extended the material's use in additional components and products, including the wire of all cameras in the iPhone 14 lineup, and printed circuit boards of iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and HomePod. Apple is also working to encourage broader adoption of recycled gold for non-custom components across the electronics industry. By 2025, the company will use 100 percent certified recycled tin soldering on all Apple-designed printed rigid and flexible circuit boards. In recent years, Apple's use of recycled tin has expanded to the solder of many flexible printed circuit boards across Apple products, with 38 percent of all tin used last year coming from recycled sources. The application of recycled tin across even more components is underway, and the company is engaging more suppliers in this effort. Innovation has also driven progress toward another of Apple's 2025 commitments: to eliminate plastics from the company's packaging. The development of fiber alternatives for packaging components like screen films, wraps, and foam cushioning has kept Apple on track toward this ambitious goal. To address the remaining 4 percent plastic in the company's packaging footprint, Apple is innovating to replace labels, lamination, and other small uses. In the last year, Apple developed a custom printer to introduce digital printing directly onto the boxes of iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, eliminating the need for most labels. And a new overprint varnish found in iPad Air, iPad Pro, and Apple Watch Series 8 packaging replaces the polypropylene plastic lamination found on boxes and packaging components. The innovation helped avoid over 1,100 metric tons of plastic and over 2,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Progress in Responsible Sourcing of Primary and Recycled Materials As Apple reduces its reliance on newly mined minerals, it is also pursuing ways to directly support communities whose livelihoods depend on mining. The company is partnering with experts such as the Fund for Global Human Rights to provide support for frontline human rights and environmental defenders, including in the African Great Lakes region, as well as vocational education programs that enable members of local communities moving away from mining to build skills and pursue new opportunities. Apple sources primary minerals responsibly and drives the highest level of human rights and environmental standards across its supply chain. Apple was the first electronics company to publish a list of cobalt and lithium refiners in its battery supply chain, with cobalt in 2016 and lithium in 2020. In 2017, the company mapped its supply chain for rare earths. And since 2015, every identified smelter and refiner for tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold has participated in independent third-party audits. In the transition to recycled and renewable content, Apple has prioritized 14 materials based on environment, human rights, and supply impact that together account for nearly 90 percent of the material shipped in Apple products: aluminum, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, lithium, paper, plastics, rare earth elements, steel, tantalum, tin, tungsten, and zinc. In 2022, about 20 percent of all material shipped in Apple products came from recycled or renewable sources. This includes the first use of recycled copper foil in the main logic board of iPad (10th generation), the introduction of certified recycled steel in the battery tray of MacBook Air with the M2 chip, 100 percent recycled tungsten in the latest Apple Watch lineup, and the aluminum enclosures found in many Apple products, made with a 100 percent recycled aluminum alloy designed by Apple. Innovating for the Future of Recycling Apple's work to pioneer new research and development for end-of-life disassembly and recycling has helped make this progress possible. Through extensive efforts including partnerships with leading research institutions and the Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas, Apple engineers and experts are developing innovative ways to give materials in Apple products new life, and helping inform design decisions that support disassembly and recovery. The company's iPhone disassembly robot, Daisy, separates batteries from other components, and enables specialty recyclers to recover cobalt and other materials, including lithium. Since 2019, Apple estimates that more than 11,000 kilograms of cobalt have been recovered from batteries extracted by Daisy and then returned to the secondary market. Daisy also helps recover rare earth elements, which are largely lost through traditional electronics recycling processes. Daisy is just one example of how Apple's innovations in recycling and disassembly can drive industrywide change. The company's Dave robot, now deployed with a recycling partner in China, can help further accelerate recovery of rare earth elements by disassembling Taptic Engines. Apple has also begun deploying overhead projector-based augmented reality (AR) systems to recycling partners. The system guides the disassembly of devices including MacBook and iPad by projecting video imagery directly onto a work surface. The company publishes Apple Recycler Guides for global recyclers to maximize efficiency of material recovery while safeguarding human health and safety. As recycled and renewable materials can contribute to lowering each product's carbon footprint, enhanced recovery is also bringing Apple closer to its ambitious goal to be carbon neutral across its entire supply chain and the life cycle of every product by 2030. About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apple's five software platforms -- iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS -- provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple's more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it. 1. All cobalt content references are on a mass balance system basis. Press Contacts Sean Redding Apple s_redding@apple.com (669) 218-2893 Apple Media Helpline media.help@apple.com Copy text * Images in this article Download all images About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apple's five software platforms -- iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS -- provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple's more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it. 1. All cobalt content references are on a mass balance system basis. Press Contacts Sean Redding Apple s_redding@apple.com (669) 218-2893 Apple Media Helpline media.help@apple.com Latest News [Apple-Rest] UPDATE Apple expands innovative Restore Fund for carbon removal April 11, 2023 [QR-Apple-S] QUICK READ Apple BKC opens April 18 and Apple Saket opens April 20 April 10, 2023 [Apple-Rene] UPDATE Apple and global suppliers expand renewable energy to 13.7 gigawatts April 5, 2023 Apple Newsroom The latest news and updates, direct from Apple. Read more Apple Footer Apple 1. Newsroom 2. 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