In its 2021 Environmental Progress Report, Apple highlighted carbon capture and energy efficiency. Its decision to stop including power adapters with products like the iPhone 12 will potentially save 861,000 tons of copper, tin and zinc.
According to the tech giant, the end result would be that the smaller packaging for iPhone 12 will allow the company to ship the device more efficiently too. Each shipping pallet can carry up to 70% more iPhone 12 boxes.
Last year, Apple decreased its carbon dioxide emissions from 25.1 million tons to 22.6 million. It also has diminished energy usage by 13.9 million kWh.
Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives Lisa Jackson said in the report’s opening letter, “As a company, we moved ahead with greater urgency than ever before to create a stronger, healthier future for our planet and her people. In 2020, that meant real progress in our fight against climate change. Apple became carbon neutral for our worldwide operations, and we committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 for our entire footprint — from our supply chain to the use of the products we make. Those same products now use more recycled materials than ever, like the 40 percent recycled content in the MacBook Air with Retina display, and the 99 percent recycled tungsten we now use in iPhone 12 and Apple Watch Series 6.”
Apple’s M1 chip is designed to be more power efficient and using the processor in the Mac Mini had cut down the system’s overall carbon footprint by 34%. On the other hand, because of switching to a more energy-efficient power adaptor, the 8th generation iPad now requires 66% less energy than the Energy Star rating requirement. Over the last dozen years, Apple has significant reduced average energy usage in its products by more than 70%.
The efforts also extend to Apple’s supply chain, where over 110 suppliers have dedicated themselves to using clean energy. As of December 2019, more than 90% had installed tech to lower F-GHG emissions linked with display panel assembly.
The report also mentioned some initiatives that were already known, such as a recent investment of $200 million to eliminate CO2 from the atmosphere through carbon capture, and Apple data centers having long operated entirely on renewable electricity.