Smartphones use minerals that can be highly problematic for the communities from which they are mined. Apple now says it is aiming to source 100% of its cobalt from recycled material by 2025. Put another way, Apple has become so huge that we could soon have enough recycled old phones to supply the new models.
In the past, there wasn’t enough recyclable cobalt on the market, of course, so mining was required. Now that there are enough smartphones and other electronics available to recycle, Apple can aim for using 100% recycled material. In addition to using recycled minerals like tin, gold, and cobalt, Apple is also using more recycled magnets and is aiming for a product line made entirely from recycled materials.
