iPhone 17 Product Environmental Report
Date introduced: September 9, 2025
Key Environmental Highlights
The iPhone 17 features:
- 30% recycled content in the device.
- 35% of manufacturing electricity sourced from supplier renewable energy projects.
- 35% more devices shipped per trip due to redesigned compact packaging.
This report includes data current as of product launch. Product evaluations are based on U.S. configuration of iPhone 17. Product carbon footprint calculations include in-box accessories as well as packaging.
Product Carbon and Material Footprint
Apple is focused on decarbonizing the three largest sources of emissions: materials, electricity, and transportation across its value chain. Progress is being made by expanding suppliers' sourcing of renewable energy, with 35 percent of manufacturing electricity for iPhone 17 sourced from renewable energy projects. The company prioritizes the use of recycled, renewable, and low-carbon materials while focusing on the energy efficiency of its software and hardware.
Responsible selection and sourcing of materials and components that constitute a large part of the product carbon footprint are prioritized. Apple works to recover scrap at high purity. Recycled material typically emits less carbon than newly mined materials over its lifetime, leading to the use of postindustrial and postconsumer sources for waste streams.
Production: Materials and Process Emissions: 53%
Production: Electricity: 23%
Electricity for Charging: 18%
Transportation: 4%
Renewable Energy Emissions: <1%
End-of-life Processing: 1%
iPhone 17 Recycled Content (30% total), including:
- 85% recycled aluminum in the enclosure.
- 100% recycled cobalt in the battery.
- 100% recycled gold wire in all cameras and Camera Control, as well as gold plating in all connectors.
- 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets.
- 95% recycled lithium in the battery.
- 80% recycled steel in the display support plate, speaker, and receiver.
- 100% recycled gold plating and tin solder in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards.
- 80% recycled plastic in the antenna lines, some from recycled textiles.
- 100% recycled tungsten and copper wire in the Taptic Engine.
Read more at apple.com/2030.
Product Insights
Water ?
Water is a local resource. Apple's water strategy is respectful of local conditions where it and its suppliers operate, collecting data and site-level feedback to understand water impacts. The Supplier Clean Water program prioritizes high water users in high water stress locations, driving participants to an average 50 percent water reuse rate by 2030. Learn more.
Safer Cleaners ?
All final assembly supplier sites are required to use safer cleaners and degreasers in manufacturing processes, as determined by methodologies like ChemFORWARD, US EPA Safer Choice, or GreenScreen®. Learn more about the requirements in the Regulated Substances Specification.
Energy Efficiency ⚡
iPhone 17 uses at least 55 percent less energy than the energy efficiency standard.
Longevity ⏳
iPhone 17 features Ceramic Shield 2, offering 3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation. Repairable components in the main logic board and enclosure have been increased, enabling more discrete repair options. See repair options.
Smarter Chemistry ?
All materials used in Apple products, accessories, and packaging are covered by the requirements of the Regulated Substances Specification, which restricts key substances of concern. Apple's initiatives include the Full Material Disclosure (FMD) program for material and chemical data, routine toxicological assessments for prolonged skin contact, and NGO partnerships to advance safer alternatives.
To learn more, read the Protocol for Prioritizing Chemicals of Concern in the Electronics Industry and Integrating Toxicological Assessments in Material Selection for Apple Products.
Package and Ship ?
The packaging is 100 percent fiber-based, using only recycled or responsibly sourced fibers. Smaller boxes were designed to transport multiple iPhone 17 units, reducing paper waste and carbon emissions by allowing 35 percent more units to be shipped per trip.
Zero Waste to Landfill ??️
No established final assembly supplier sites generate any waste sent to landfill.
People and Environment in Our Supply Chain ?
Suppliers are required to provide safe and healthy workplaces, treating people with dignity and respect, and reducing environmental impact. This includes helping suppliers transition to clean electricity, providing educational opportunities, and supporting waste reduction efforts. For more information, see apple.com/supplier-responsibility.
Definitions
Carbon footprint
Estimated emissions calculated in accordance with ISO 14040, ISO 14044, and ISO 14067. Uncertainty in modeling carbon emissions is addressed through detailed process-based environmental models with Apple-specific parameters and reliance on industry average data. Calculations use 100-year time horizon global warming potentials (GWP100) from the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), including biogenic carbon. The carbon footprint calculation includes emissions for the following life cycle phases in CO2 equivalency (CO2e):
- Production: Extraction, processing, and transportation of raw materials, manufacture, transport, and assembly of all parts and product packaging.
- Transport: Ground, air, and sea transportation of the finished product and packaging from manufacturing site to regional hubs and customers.
- Use: Assumes three years of use time for iPhone, Watch, and AirPods, and four years for iPad, Mac, and other devices. Total energy use is based on use patterns of historically similar products and field telemetry. Geographic differences in power grid mix are accounted for.
- End-of-life processing: Transportation from collection hubs to recycling centers and energy used in mechanical separation and shredding of parts.
For more information on the product carbon footprint methodology, visit apple.com/environment/answers.
Low-carbon electricity
Refers to both renewable electricity and other fossil-free projects considered "low-carbon" but not "renewable," such as nuclear and large-impact hydroelectricity projects. Apple accounts for the carbon impact of building and operating these projects.
Low-carbon materials
Refers to materials created using production techniques with reduced carbon impact, such as Elysis (eliminating direct greenhouse gas emissions from aluminum smelting) or aluminum smelted using hydroelectricity.
Paper
Definition adapted from ISO 4046, covering materials in the form of a coherent sheet or web made by deposition of fibers from a fluid suspension.
Recycled materials
Sourced from recovered rather than mined or primary materials, verified by an independent third party to a recycled content standard conforming to ISO 14021 definitions.
Renewable materials
Bio-materials that can be regenerated in a human lifespan (e.g., wood fibers, sugarcane), managed responsibly to enable continuous production without depleting resources.
Supplier Clean Energy Program
Helps suppliers decarbonize Apple production by transitioning electricity use to 100 percent renewable sources, addressing the largest contributor to the overall carbon footprint.
Carbon Footprint Calculation
Greenhouse gas emissions were calculated using a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology in accordance with ISO 14040, ISO 14044, and ISO 14067 standards. The LCA boundary includes the physical product, all components, packaging, and in-box accessories.
Product Carbon Footprint by Configuration:
| Configuration | Greenhouse gas emissions |
|---|---|
| 256GB | 55 kg CO2e |
| 512GB | 61 kg CO2e |
Different configurations are modeled to show the potential range of carbon emissions. Uncertainty in modeling is due primarily to data limitations. Apple addresses this by developing detailed process-based environmental models with Apple-specific parameters for top component contributors and relies on industry-average data for remaining elements.
For more information on the product carbon footprint methodology, visit apple.com/environment/answers.
Recover ♻️
Apple Trade In offers customers a seamless way to return old devices and accessories. Eligible devices can be traded in for credit or an Apple Store Gift Card, while accessories and other devices can be recycled for free. Apple also offers and participates in product take-back and recycling collection programs for 99 percent of the countries where it sells products, holding recyclers to high standards. Learn more at apple.com/recycle.
Endnotes
- Product recycled or renewable content is the mass of certified recycled material relative to the overall mass of the device, not including packaging or in-box accessories.
- Estimates the percentage of electricity-related emissions in manufacturing sourced from low-carbon electricity, based on supplier manufacturing allocations. Includes low-carbon electricity procured as part of Apple's Supplier Clean Energy Program.
- Based on the number of 10-unit boxes that fit onto a pallet compared to iPhone 16. Savings vary by location and pallet configuration.
- Greenhouse gas emissions calculated using LCA methodology (ISO 14040, 14044, 14067). LCA boundary includes physical product, components, packaging, and in-box accessories.
- Breakdown of U.S. retail packaging by weight. Adhesives, inks, and coatings excluded from plastic content and packaging weight calculations. Fiber sourcing requirements defined in Apple's Responsible Fiber Specification. Wood fibers include bamboo.
- Established final assembly supplier sites (Apple suppliers for over one year) are third-party verified as Zero Waste by UL LLC (UL 2799 Standard), requiring at least 90 percent diversion through methods other than waste to energy.
- Chemicals meeting ChemFORWARD Hazard band C or better, or equivalent results from GreenScreen or U.S. EPA Safer Choice, are considered safer and preferred. These are comprehensive hazard assessment tools.
- Efficiency performance based on U.S. Department of Energy Federal Energy Conservation Standards for Battery Chargers. ENERGY STAR does not certify smartphone devices. Energy efficiency values are based on specific conditions for power adapter, no-load, and power adapter efficiency.
- Trade-in values vary based on device condition, year, and configuration, and may differ between online and in-store trade-in. Minimum age is 18 years old. In-store trade-in requires a valid government-issued photo ID. Additional terms from Apple or its partners may apply.
Power consumption for iPhone 17
| Mode | 100V | 115V | 230V |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power adapter, no-load | 0.04W | 0.04W | 0.04W |
| Power adapter efficiency | 87.49% | 88.06% | 87.81% |
