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Apple Inc said Thursday it would use only recycled cobalt in batteries by 2025 as part of its effort to make all its products carbon neutral by the end of the decade. Magnets in Apple devices will use recycled rare-earth elements, and in-house designed circuit boards will use gold-plated and recycled tin solder, the company said. Apple is working to become carbon neutral across its entire supply chain and the lifecycle of every product by 2030. On Tuesday, it also doubled its financial commitment to a fund it set up where it has two years to invest in projects that decarbonise. of the atmosphere. .
In the past, several technology companies have been accused of being complicit in the deaths of children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) forced to mine cobalt, an essential material in the batteries used in most consumer electronics.
Most cobalt is produced as a byproduct of copper or nickel mining, but artisanal miners in southern Congo exploit near-surface deposits that are rich in cobalt.
A quarter of all cobalt used in Apple products came from recycled materials in 2022, up from 13% the year before, Apple said.
Today, more than two-thirds of all aluminum, nearly three-quarters of all rare earths, and more than 95% of all tungsten in its products come from recycled materials.
