April 16, 2026
Recycled or recycled PR?
Apple accelerates eco progress with highest-ever recycled materials
Apple touts 30% recycled—comments cry greenwash, demand repair and trade-in cash
TLDR: Apple says 30% of materials in 2025 products were recycled, with 100% recycled cobalt in its batteries and plastic-free boxes. Commenters split: some applaud progress, others cry greenwashing, want independent audits, better trade-in payouts, and repairability, arguing real impact comes from keeping phones working longer.
Apple dropped its Earth Day flex: 30% recycled materials across products shipped in 2025, 100% recycled cobalt in Apple‑designed batteries, 100% recycled rare earth magnets, plastic‑free fiber packaging, and emissions down 60% since 2015. Apple also says it replenishes over half its corporate water use, and invests in new recycling robots. But the comments lit up: skeptics called it greenwashing; others demanded definitions and third‑party audits.
One user asked what “recycled” even means and what about other metals; another said stop posting Apple PR and pointed to poor repairability, arguing eco claims are hollow if devices are hard to fix. Several shrugged that 30% sounds small—“nothing to write home about.” The practical crowd said the real green move is paying people to return old iPhones; trade‑ins drop to $0 over a scratch, so why surrender a phone for free?
Fans did clap for plastic‑free packaging (“finally, no plastic wrap!”), while jokesters quipped that Apple’s fiber boxes are “so green they decompose faster than my Lightning cable.” Others asked for independent audits, longer support, and easier self‑repair—“recycle fewer phones by keeping them alive longer.” TL;DR vibes: progress? Yes. Parade? Not yet. Read Apple’s receipts yourself: Apple’s report.
Key Points
- •Apple says 30% of materials in products shipped in 2025 were from recycled content.
- •All Apple‑designed batteries now use 100% recycled cobalt; all magnets use 100% recycled rare earth elements.
- •Apple eliminated plastics from packaging, moving to 100% fiber‑based, home‑recyclable packaging.
- •The company reports 2025 greenhouse gas emissions are over 60% lower than 2015, flat vs 2024, toward its Apple 2030 carbon‑neutral goal.
- •Apple reports additional steps: 100% recycled gold plating and tin soldering on Apple‑designed PCBs, water replenishment of over half corporate use, and investment in next‑gen recycling.