Apple likes to show off its abilities save metal, and now it reduces the environmental impact of the metal itself. The the company said Latest iPhone SE was the first product made from “commercially pure” low-carbon aluminum on an industrial scale. Montreal, Canada-based company Elysis manufactured a batch of products for Apple using a hydroelectric, carbon-free smelting process that produces oxygen, not greenhouse gases.
The two companies did not say how many iPhone SEs will use this aluminum material. The design relies heavily on aluminum for the frame, but the back is mostly glass to help support wireless charging and data reception.
Development is a long time coming. Apple helped grow through an investment group that included Alcoa, Rio Tinto, the Canadian government, and the provincial government of Quebec. This technology company also purchased the first batch of aluminum from that alliance for production 16-inch MacBook Pro from 2019. Aluminum-linked carbon emissions at Apple have fallen by nearly 70% since 2015, according to the company.
Apple brags that it regularly pours money into projects like this through three “Green Bonds” totaling $4.7 billion. The investments, starting in 2016, focus on both reducing emissions and providing clean energy. Elysis’ low-carbon aluminum funding comes from a 2019 bond that supports 50 projects, including those that “reduce or offset” 2.9 million tons of CO2 and establish nearly 700 megawatts of renewable energy .
These efforts help highlight Apple’s image as much as possible to reduce its contribution to climate change – like Samsung and other competitors, the company wanted to reassure worried buyers that their new phone might cause unnecessary harm. Using more of this eco-friendly aluminum will help Apple achieve its goal sell carbon neutral products by 2030, in spite of. And given Apple’s massive market influence, a carbon reduction like this could have a tangible impact.
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