Environmental report

Apple uses more recycled cobalt in batteries

Apple uses robots to take apart old iPhones for recycling.

(Bild: Apple)

Apple more than doubled the use of recycled cobalt in its batteries in the last financial year. The proportion rose from 27 percent a year earlier to 56 percent, as the iPhone company announced in its environmental report on Thursday. By the 2025 financial year, Apple intends to use only recycled cobalt in its batteries.

The entire electronics industry is often criticized for raw materials such as cobalt because the metals are often mined under risky and inhumane conditions and in conflict areas. In recent years, the US company has introduced controls in the supply chain to monitor the origin of the materials.

Apple uses robots to take apart old iPhones for recycling (see video below). According to previous information from the company, almost 100 percent of the cobalt from the batteries can be reused for the production of new batteries. Last year, Apple achieved a recycling rate of 24% for the lithium in its batteries.

CO2-neutral by 2030
According to the report, the company also came closer to its goal of becoming CO2-neutral along the entire value chain by 2030. Compared to 2015, greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 55 percent, it said.

Part of the plan for 2030 is to reduce emissions by 75 percent compared to 2015 - zero is then to be achieved through offsetting measures and CO2 sequestration. A year ago, Apple reported a reduction of 45 percent.

Plastic-free
Apple has also set itself the goal of completely eliminating plastic from its packaging by the 2025 financial year. Last year, plastic still accounted for three percent of the material used in Apple packaging.