Yes, the Apple Watch Series 10 can be carbon neutral — but only with select bands

at its Glow time This week’s event saw Apple make a series of announcements about its sustainability goals, notably Apple Watch Series 10 It is possible to be 100% carbon neutral by choosing the right strap. Both aluminum and titanium watch cases are carbon neutral, but only Sport Loop Strap ($49), Single Braided Bracelet ($99)and Milan Loop ($99) received similar reviews.

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Last year’s Apple Watch 9 could also be carbon neutral with the right strap, but those two lines of watches are still the only Apple products to achieve a 100% carbon neutral rating. Apple has announced its commitment to carbon neutral supply chain and product line in 2020. However, we saw a few references to this “2030” number when referring to individual products during the Glowtime event to raise awareness of the company’s sustainability efforts.

Okay, so what does this mean for the watch? Apple says it will ship 50% of its watches and their components by non-air freight, aiming to reduce fossil fuel emissions in the process.

The watch case is made from 100% recycled aluminum or 95% recycled titanium, and the bands mentioned above are made from over 40% recycled material. Apple says 100% of the energy used to make the watch bands comes from clean energy sources.

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Additionally, Apple says it is purchasing enough renewable energy credits to offset the cost of the energy required to manufacture its products, an approach often used by large companies that claim to be carbon neutral: buying enough credits from forestry projects or conservation organizations to plant enough trees to “balance” the ecological costs of manufacturing and shipping.

However, critics maintain that simply buying your way out of the problem is ultimately not a sustainable solution, and that comprehensive changes to polluting production and manufacturing practices are needed.

From a consumer perspective, these products are essentially the same price as last year, suggesting that Apple isn’t passing on the extra cost of its sustainability practices to consumers — which may seem odd, but it’s not necessarily a surprise.

This also applies to Apple’s trade-in programs, which encourage consumers to return old products for resale (or recycling) instead of sending them to landfills.

The Apple Watch Series 10 may be its first carbon-neutral product, but Apple is making progress with other products. In Apple Product Environmental Report on iPhone 16 and 16 Plussays the phone is made from 30% recycled or renewable materials, with more than 30% of the electricity generated coming from the supplier’s low-carbon energy projects. Additionally, the packaging is now entirely made from fibre and is plastic-free.

Apple’s language continues to emphasize transparency, with Environmental progress report Analyze the status of each sustainability goal, noting that the only goal with “Achieved” status is the business unit’s carbon neutrality target.

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This is a start, but it’s still just a drop in the bucket. Ocean of electronic waste believed to be from Apple alone. With average about 17 With 1.5 billion pounds of e-waste produced per capita last year, the number of electronic products like phones, computers, and gadgets that end up in landfills is mind-boggling. Meanwhile, those numbers will only continue to rise as production continues to ramp up with new devices.

Having a sustainability statement is common for all technology manufacturers these days and while they may not be consistent Apple aestheticsConsumers need to be aware of their options when spending money on new products.

One thing that both consumers and manufacturers can agree on is that every little bit of support helps.