Apple says it will use materials produced via “the world’s first direct carbon-free aluminum smelting process” in the iPhone SE as part of its efforts to reduce its environmental impact.
The company is tapping Canadian firm Elysis, which has “produced the first commercial-purity primary aluminum at industrial scale for use in Apple products” at its plant in Quebec.
“This is the first time aluminum has been produced at this commercial purity, without any greenhouse gas emission and at industrial scale,” Elysis CEO Vincent Christ said in a statement. “The sale to Apple confirms the market’s interest in aluminum produced using our breakthrough Elysis carbon-free smelting technology…which has the potential to make lasting changes in how aluminum is produced.”
Apple says that it’s reduced the carbon emissions resulting from its use of aluminum in practically all of its products by nearly 70% since 2015. “Every model in the iPad lineup, including the new iPad Air, along with the latest MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, and Apple Watch, are made with a 100 percent recycled aluminum enclosure,” it says.
It’s also committed $4.7 billion in so-called Green Bonds to support more environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, recycling technologies, and the like. The most recent of those Green Bonds was introduced in 2019 and is said to be supporting 50 projects. (Including the development of this carbon-free aluminum for use in the iPhone SE and, later, other products.)
“These 50 projects will mitigate or offset 2,883,000 metric tons of CO2e, install nearly 700 megawatts of renewable energy capacity around the world, and promote new recycling research and development,” Apple says.
More information about the company’s financial support for eco-friendly projects can be found in the Annual Green Bond Impact Report (PDF) from 2021.
