FAQ

More answers to your questions about Apple and the environment.

Who leads environmental efforts at Apple?

Apple is committed to addressing climate change, to developing green materials for safer products, and to using materials as efficiently as possible. In June 2013, Apple CEO Tim Cook appointed Lisa P. Jackson as Vice President, Environmental Initiatives. The Office of Environmental Initiatives works with teams from across Apple to set strategy, engage stakeholders, and communicate progress.

Apple’s Board of Directors oversees the CEO and other senior management in the competent and ethical operation of Apple on a day-to-day basis and assures that the long-term interests of shareholders are being served. The Vice President, Environmental Initiatives, reports to the CEO. Our integrated approach means that decisions about environmental issues are reviewed at the highest levels of the company. Executive Team members regularly review each new product during its development, focusing on material and design choices, the supply chain, packaging, and product energy efficiency.

How does Apple conduct its Product Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Analysis?

Apple uses five steps when conducting a product life cycle analysis (LCA):

  1. To model the manufacturing phase, we use part-by-part measurements of the entire product along with data on part production. The measurements help us accurately determine the size and weight of the components and materials in the product, while data on manufacturing processes and yield loss during production allows us to account for the impact of manufacturing. The production of external accessories, such as keyboards, and mice, and packaging is also included in this step.
  2. To model customer use, we measure the power consumed by a product while it is running in a simulated scenario. Different scenarios are used for different product lines. For example, we assume a four‑year average use period for Mac computers. To be conservative, we also assume an office scenario use pattern for every computer shipped, and we apply that use pattern to 365 days of use per year. For iPhone, iPad, and iPod, we assume a three‑year use period. For these products, charging patterns are defined according to intense daily use. More information on our product power modes is provided in our Product Environmental Reports.
  3. For the transportation phase, we use data collected on shipments of single products and multipack units by land, sea, and air. We account for transporting materials between manufacturing sites; transporting products from manufacturing sites to sales distribution hubs in Europe, Asia, and the Americas; transporting products from regional hubs to individual customers; and transporting products from final customers to recycling facilities.
  4. To model recycling, we use material composition data on products, covering the treatment steps carried out by the recycler to obtain metal, plastic, and glass material streams. Subsequent processing and smelting steps are not included, as these are considered stages of production and not end-of-life processing.
  5. After we collect data about production, use, transport, and recycling, we combine it with detailed greenhouse gas emission data. This emission data is based on a combination of Apple-specific and industry-average datasets for material production, manufacturing processes, electricity generation, and transportation. Combining product-specific data with emission data in our LCA tool allows us to compile detailed results for greenhouse gas emissions as they relate to the product. The data and modeling approaches are checked for quality and accuracy by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany.

Does Apple use external verification and assurance for its carbon emissions reporting?

Yes. We engage in third-party verification for our carbon emissions reporting. The World Resource Institute (WRI)/World Business Council for Sustainable Developments (WBCSD) Greenhouse Gas Protocol was used in the calculations.

Bureau Veritas (BV), a global leader in conformity assessment and certification services, provided reasonable assurance, one of the highest in the verification industry for our Scope 1 and 2 emissions. It is the opinion of BV that the information in our greenhouse gas emissions report is accurate and reliable. See the BV statement here.

Scope 3 carbon emissions related to our products, calculated using life cycle assessment, are checked for quality and accuracy by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, in accordance with the internationally recognized ISO 14000 environmental management standards: ISO 14040 and 14044.

Does Apple index its environmental performance data using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines?

Yes. Environmental performance data covering energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste production is provided in the 2015 Environmental Responsibility Report (PDF). Learn more about GRI indices reported by Apple.

Have any Apple facilities received ISO 14001 certification?

Yes. Apple first achieved ISO 14001 certification for a manufacturing site in 1996. We have maintained certification at our manufacturing facility in Ireland since it was first achieved in 2001 and at two sites in Cupertino — our engineering and design process center and our corporate recycling center — since 2013. ISO 14001 is a voluntary international standard that establishes the requirements for an organization’s environmental management system (EMS). The ISO 14001 standard helps a company manage the environmental impact of its operations in a systematic way that is integrated with overall business management processes.

Does Apple ban environmentally sensitive substances?

Yes. Apple’s Regulated Substances Specification details a broad range of substances that are restricted or banned from use in Apple products, packaging, and manufacturing. Download Apple’s regulated Substances Specification (PDF). Learn more about our efforts to reduce or eliminate harmful toxins.

Do Apple products contain lead?

Apple is in compliance with the European Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, which restricts the use of lead and other substances. As a result of our precautionary approach to substances, Apple phased out lead in plastic parts, paint, and packaging material long before the RoHS Directive came into effect.

What are Apple’s restrictions on brominated flame retardant-free (BFR-free) and polyvinyl chloride-free (PVC‑free) products?

Apple defines a material as BFR‑free and PVC‑free if it contains less than 900 parts per million (ppm) of bromine and of chlorine. The 900‑ppm limit is one of the strictest in the electronics industry and a concentration lower than the ban on lead in the European RoHS Directive. Since BFRs and PVC need to be present in much higher quantities to be effective, most materials that contain less than 900 ppm bromine and chlorine do not have any detectable levels of bromine or chlorine present.

Which products are covered by Apple’s BFR-free and PVC-free transition?

Apple’s phaseout of BFRs and PVC covers all parts of new Apple product designs manufactured after December 31, 2008. iPhone, iPad, and iPod are examples of products that are BFR‑free and PVC‑free. While Apple’s phaseout covers the vast majority of products and components, older product designs, replacement parts, accessories for older product designs, and Beats products may not be fully BFR‑free and PVC‑free. At Beats, the phaseout began in 2014 and is a high priority for new products.

What is REACH, and how is Apple complying with the REACH regulation?

The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals Regulation EC 1907/2007, commonly referred to as REACH, is a European regulation on chemicals and their safe use. With the publication of candidate lists for authorization, the European Chemicals Agency identifies sets of substances of very high concern (SVHC) that manufacturers must disclose to customers if used in their products above 0.1 percent.

Based on the current version of the candidate list for authorization, Apple products do not contain SVHC above 0.1 percent except for Apple Remote, which contains a coin battery with 1,2-dimethoxyethane.

Does Apple use ozone-depleting substances?

No ozone‑depleting substances (ODCs) are used in any processes to manufacture components, materials, or product packaging materials used by Apple, as stipulated by the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer.

Does Apple have an Environmental Health and Safety Policy?

Apple is committed to protecting the environment, health, and safety of our employees, customers, and the global communities in which we operate. For more information, read our Environmental Health and Safety Policy statement (PDF).

Does Apple recycle packaging?

Apple offers free recycling of packaging from Apple products in many countries. Contact your Apple sales representative for more information.