Product Environmental Report

Progress toward our 2030 goal

• More than 30% recycled content¹
• Over 30% of manufacturing electricity sourced from supplier low-carbon energy projects²

Packaging

• 100% fiber-based, due to Apple's work to remove plastic in packaging 5
• 100% recycled or responsibly sourced wood fibers⁶

Smarter chemistry³

• Arsenic-free glass
• Mercury-free
• Brominated flame retardant-free
• PVC-free

Longevity

iPhone 16e features Ceramic Shield as well as IP68 water and dust resistance that enhance durability.⁴

Recovery

Return your device through Apple Trade In—at a retail store or online—and Apple will give it a new life or recycle it for free.

Supplier Code of Conduct

Through the Apple Supplier Code of Conduct, Apple sets strict standards for safeguarding people and the environment in its supply chain.

iPhone 16e contains more than 30% recycled content.

This report includes data current as of product launch. Product evaluations are based on U.S. configuration of iPhone 16e. Product carbon footprint calculations include in-box accessories as well as packaging.

Image: Front view of the iPhone 16e, displaying a screen with a reflective orb.

Progress toward carbon neutral

Apple has reduced emissions for iPhone 16e 128GB by more than 30 percent against its business-as-usual scenario. This product contains over 30 percent recycled content, including 85 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure, which reduced total product emissions for this configuration by about 10 percent. Apple is working with its suppliers to transition to 100 percent low-carbon electricity for production. The low-carbon electricity solutions that suppliers have already implemented have reduced product emissions by about 25 percent. Carbon footprint calculations also account for the emissions necessary to generate renewable electricity, specifically to manufacture and maintain renewable energy infrastructure, like wind and solar farms.

For the product carbon footprint of alternate configurations, please see the Carbon Footprint section of the report.

Diagram: A stacked bar chart illustrating carbon emissions. The left bar, 'Baseline emissions (75 kg)', shows 'Electricity for product use', 'Electricity for manufacturing', and 'Materials and process emissions'. The middle bar, representing 'Emissions reductions (-26 kg)', highlights 'Low-carbon electricity' and 'Recycled and low-carbon materials' impacting 'Materials and process emissions' and 'Electricity for manufacturing'. The right bar, 'Total product emissions (48 kg)', shows the breakdown after reductions: 'Materials and process emissions', 'Electricity for manufacturing', and 'Electricity for product use', with a note about 'Renewable energy emissions'.

Taking responsibility for our products at every stage

Apple takes responsibility for its products throughout their life cycles—including the materials they are made of, the people who assemble them, and how they are recycled at end of life. Apple focuses on areas where it can make the biggest difference for the planet: reducing impact on climate change, conserving important resources, and using safer materials.

With millions of products sold, even small adjustments can have a meaningful impact.

Diagram: A circular diagram illustrating the product lifecycle stages: 'DESIGN AND SOURCE' (Maximize use of recycled content and responsibly source primary materials), 'MAKE' (Uphold high standards of labor and human rights, health and safety, and minimize environmental impact), 'PACKAGE AND SHIP' (Remove plastic from packaging and minimize emissions from transportation), 'USE' (Minimize emissions from product use, enhance product longevity, and seek to avoid exposure to harmful chemicals), and 'RECOVER' (Reuse products through Apple Trade In and maximize material recovery at end of life).

Design and Source

iPhone 16e contains more than 30 percent recycled content.¹

To conserve important resources, Apple works to reduce material usage and aims to one day source only recycled or renewable materials for its products. Apple remains committed to the responsible sourcing of primary materials and is recognized as a worldwide leader in the responsible sourcing of minerals. Apple maps many materials to their mineral source and establishes strict standards for smelters and refiners. By the end of 2025, Apple plans to use 100 percent recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries, 100 percent recycled tin soldering and 100 percent recycled gold plating in all Apple-designed rigid and flexible printed circuit boards, and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets. Product designs also consider the safety of those who make, use, and recycle products, restricting the use of hundreds of harmful substances.

Material Breakdown:

• Aluminum: 85 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure.
• Glass: 10 percent recycled glass in the back glass.
• Plastic: 50 percent or more recycled plastic in 15 components. 25 percent recycled content in antenna lines made from upcycled plastic bottles.
• Tin: 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of all Apple-designed printed circuit boards.
• Cobalt: 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery. ¹²
• Gold: 100 percent recycled gold wire in all cameras and 100 percent recycled gold in the plating of all Apple-designed printed circuit boards, the USB-C connector, and multiple custom and standard small parts.
• Rare earth elements: 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, representing 96 percent of the total rare earth elements in the device.
• Tungsten: 100 percent recycled tungsten in the Taptic Engine, representing 98 percent of the total tungsten in the device.
• Copper: 100 percent recycled copper in multiple printed circuit boards, 100 percent recycled copper wire in the Taptic Engine, and 100 percent recycled copper foil and wire in the inductive charger.
• Lithium: 100 percent recycled lithium in the battery cathode. ¹³ This represents more than 95 percent of the total lithium in the battery.
• Steel: 80 percent or more recycled steel in multiple components, including the back glass support plate, speaker, and multiple small parts.

Smarter chemistry

iPhone 16e is free of harmful substances like brominated flame retardants, PVC, phthalates, arsenic in glass, and mercury. ³ 100 percent of the materials in iPhone 16e are covered by Apple's Regulated Substances Specification. Apple aims to understand non-regulated substances in every part of every product, requiring industry-leading transparency through the entire supply chain. Apple consistently identifies the makeup of over 80 percent by mass of iPhone 16e devices.

Make

The Apple Supplier Code of Conduct sets strict standards for safeguarding people and the environment in Apple's supply chain. Every year, Apple assesses its suppliers' performance in upholding these standards.

Apple works closely with its suppliers to provide safe and healthy workplaces and to reduce suppliers' environmental impact. Requirements apply across the supply chain and include responsible sourcing of materials. Apple helps suppliers transition to low-carbon electricity, provides educational opportunities, and supports suppliers in reducing waste.

For more information, see apple.com/supplychain.

Smarter chemicals

All established iPhone 16e final assembly supplier sites use safer cleaners and degreasers in their manufacturing processes, as determined by methodologies like the GreenScreen® assessment.¹⁴

Zero Waste to Landfill

No established iPhone 16e final assembly supplier sites generate any waste sent to landfill. ¹⁵

Supplier energy use

Over 30 percent of manufacturing electricity is sourced from supplier low-carbon energy projects, supported by Apple's Supplier Clean Energy Program.²

Illustration: Depicts elements of responsible manufacturing: bottles and sprayers representing safer chemicals, a recycling bin, and wind turbines symbolizing renewable energy.

Package and Ship

iPhone 16e packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and contains no plastic except for inks, coatings, and adhesives, a milestone toward Apple's commitment to remove plastic from packaging by the end of 2025.⁵

Apple is working to improve packaging across all products, including removing plastics, increasing recycled content, and reducing volume. The packaging for iPhone 16e contains 60 percent recycled content, and Apple has protected or established enough responsibly managed forests to cover all the new wood fiber used in its packaging.⁶ This ensures working forests are able to regrow and continue to clean air and purify water.

The iPhone 16e packaging was redesigned to be smaller and more efficient than the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus boxes, reducing overall volume by 12 percent. This smaller size increases the total number of boxes that can fit onto select pallets, enabling more phones to be shipped in fewer journeys.¹⁶

Key Packaging Statistics:

• 100% of the packaging⁵ is fiber-based, as part of the commitment to remove plastic from packaging by the end of 2025.
• 60% recycled content in fiber-based packaging.
• 100% of the virgin wood fiber in the packaging is responsibly sourced.¹⁷

Image: The iPhone 16e packaging box, white with the Apple logo and 'iPhone' text, shown slightly open.

Use

iPhone 16e uses 60 percent less energy than the energy efficiency standard.¹⁸

Apple designs products to be energy efficient, long-lasting, and safe. iPhone 16e uses software and power-efficient components that intelligently manage power consumption. Apple runs its own Reliability and Environmental Testing Labs for rigorous product testing. Support continues throughout each product's life cycle with regular software updates. Access to safe, reliable, and secure repairs has been expanded by increasing the number of Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs).

To address emissions tied to product electricity use, Apple is building low-carbon energy projects and engaging with customers to educate and provide opportunities to support the decarbonization of the grid.

Designed to last

iPhone 16e features Ceramic Shield as well as IP68 water and dust resistance that enhance durability.⁴

Made with smarter chemistry

Apple applies rigorous controls for materials users touch—all based on recommendations from toxicologists and dermatologists.

Recover

Return your product with Apple Trade In, in store or online, and Apple will ensure it has a long life or recycle it for free.

Apple designs products to be durable for longer use and wants the materials to live on in other products. Apple Trade In provides product end-of-life options, allowing customers to get value for their current device toward a new one or an Apple Store Gift Card. If a device isn't eligible for credit, it will be recycled for free through product take-back and recycling collection programs.¹⁹ Even after a product reaches the end of its life, its materials can serve the next generation of products. Apple provides or participates in product take-back and recycling collection programs in 99 percent of countries where it sells products, working with best-in-class recyclers to maximize material recovery and drive efforts to close the loop on key materials.

Apple is also creating Apple Recycler Guides to provide guidance for professional electronics recyclers on how to safely disassemble Apple products to maximize resource recovery. The guides offer insight into recycling steps and material locations within products.

For more information on how to recycle your products at end of life, visit: apple.com/recycle.

Image: Shows a laptop keyboard and an iPad device.

Definitions

Bio-based plastics: Made from biological sources rather than fossil-fuel sources, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Carbon footprint: Estimated emissions calculated in accordance with ISO 14040, ISO 14044, and ISO 14067. Involves detailed process-based environmental models and industry average data. Calculations use 100-year time horizon global warming potentials (GWP100) from the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), including biogenic carbon. Includes emissions for life cycle phases in CO2 equivalency (CO2e):

• Production: Extraction, production, and transportation of raw materials, manufacture, transport, and assembly of parts and packaging.
• Transport: Ground, air, and sea transportation of the finished product and packaging from manufacturing site to customers or distribution hubs.
• Use: Assumes three-year period for iOS/watchOS devices and four-year for macOS/iPadOS/tvOS devices, based on historical customer use data. Energy use simulated via daily battery drain or activity modeling. Geographic differences in power grid mix accounted for.
• End-of-life processing: Transportation from collection hubs to recycling centers and energy used in mechanical separation and shredding.

For more information on product carbon footprint methodology, visit apple.com/environment/answers.

Low-carbon electricity: Refers to renewable electricity and other fossil-free projects considered "low-carbon" but not "renewable" (e.g., nuclear, large-impact hydroelectricity). Apple accounts for the carbon impact of building and operating these projects.

Low-carbon materials: Materials created using production techniques with reduced carbon impact, such as Elysis or aluminum smelted using hydroelectricity instead of coal.

Recycled materials: Sourced from recovered rather than mined materials. Claims verified by independent third parties to ISO 14021 standard.

Renewable materials: Bio-materials that can be regenerated in a human lifespan (e.g., wood fibers, sugarcane). Managed in a way that enables continuous production without depleting resources, certified for management practices.

Supplier Clean Energy Program: Apple helps suppliers decarbonize production by transitioning electricity use to 100 percent renewable sources.

Carbon footprint

Greenhouse gas emissions were calculated using a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology in accordance with ISO 14040, 14044, and 14067 standards, based on iPhone 16e 128GB.¹⁰ The LCA boundary includes the physical product, all components, and all in-box accessories.

Note: Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.

Apple has also calculated the product carbon footprint for different configurations:

These models show the potential range of carbon emissions. This data is accurate as of launch. There is inherent uncertainty in modeling carbon emissions due primarily to data limitations. For top component contributors, Apple develops detailed process-based environmental models with Apple-specific parameters. For remaining elements, Apple relies on industry-average data and assumptions.

For more information on product carbon footprint methodology, visit apple.com/environment/answers.

Endnotes

1. 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.
2. Apple estimates the percentage of electricity-related emissions in manufacturing sourced from low-carbon electricity by attributing low-carbon energy procured by suppliers in the prior fiscal year, based on supplier manufacturing allocations at product launch. This calculation assesses suppliers for iPhone 16e. Included is only low-carbon electricity Apple or its suppliers procured as part of Apple's Supplier Clean Energy Program.
3. Apple's Regulated Substances Specification describes restrictions on certain chemical substances in materials, products, accessories, manufacturing processes, and packaging. Restrictions are derived from international laws, directives, regulatory agencies, eco-label requirements, environmental standards, and Apple policies. Every Apple product is free of PVC and phthalates except for AC power cords in India, Thailand (for 2-prong AC power cords), and South Korea, where Apple continues to seek government approval for PVC and phthalates replacement. Apple products comply with the European Union Directive 2011/65/EU and its amendments, including exemptions for lead in high-temperature solder. Apple is working to phase out these exempted substances for new products where technically possible.
4. iPhone 16e is splash, water, and dust resistant and was tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP68 under IEC standard 60529 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes). Resistance is not permanent and may decrease with normal wear. Do not attempt to charge a wet iPhone; refer to the user guide for cleaning and drying instructions. Liquid damage is not covered under warranty.
5. Based on retail packaging as shipped by Apple. Breakdown of U.S. retail packaging by weight. Adhesives, inks, and coatings are excluded from calculations of plastic content and packaging weight.
6. For more information about Apple's work to protect and create responsibly managed forests, please read the Environmental Progress Report.
7. iPhone 16e achieved a Gold rating in the United States and Canada, in accordance with IEEE 1680.1 or UL 110, and is listed on the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Registry. EPEAT registers computers, displays, and mobile phones based on environmental requirements. For more information, visit www.epeat.net.
8. Carbon reductions are calculated against a product-specific business-as-usual scenario as modeled by Apple: 1) No use of clean electricity for manufacturing or product use, beyond what is already available on the latest modeled grid (based on regional emissions factors). 2) Apple's carbon intensity of key materials as of 2015 (baseline year for 2030 product carbon neutrality goal). Carbon intensity reflects use of recycled content and production technology. 3) Apple's average mix of transportation modes (air, rail, ocean, ground) by product line and region across three years (fiscal years 2017 to 2019) to capture baseline transportation emissions.
9. Apple calculates emissions savings from the use of recycled or low-carbon materials by comparing the carbon intensity of key materials today with their 2015 baseline or using industry average data. Currently, only savings from recycled aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel in the enclosure, and recycled lithium, cobalt, tungsten, and gold in select parts are quantified. Actual emissions avoided from recycled materials are likely larger. Apple plans to improve accounting of recycled content over time.
10. Greenhouse gas emissions were calculated using a life cycle assessment methodology in accordance with ISO 14040, 14044, and 14067 standards and based on iPhone 16e 128GB. The life cycle assessment boundary includes the physical product, all components, and packaging, as well as all in-box accessories.
11. Apple maps materials in its supply chain and publishes a list of identified tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold (3TG), cobalt, and lithium smelters and refiners. Third-party assessments confirm sourcing practices and are part of Apple's responsible sourcing program. Efforts also consider social, environmental, human rights, and governance risks.
12. All cobalt in the battery claims or references use mass balance allocation.
13. Lithium in the battery claims use mass balance allocation.
14. Chemicals that meet GreenScreen® benchmark 3 or 4 or equivalent methodologies like U.S. EPA Safer Choice are considered safer and preferred. GreenScreen® is a comprehensive hazard assessment tool. For more information, visit www.greenscreenchemicals.org.
15. All established final assembly supplier sites for iPhone 16e are third-party verified as Zero Waste by UL LLC (UL 2799 Standard). UL requires at least 90 percent diversion through methods other than waste to energy to achieve Zero Waste to Landfill designations (Silver 90-94 percent, Gold 95-99 percent, Platinum 100 percent).
16. This increase in boxes that fit onto a pallet excludes pallets shipped to: U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Canada.
17. Responsible sourcing of wood fiber is defined in Apple's Responsible Fiber Specification. Wood fibers include bamboo.
18. Efficiency performance is 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 the following conditions:
• Power adapter, no-load: Condition with the Apple 20W USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C to Lightning Cable (1m) connected to AC power, but not to iPhone.
• Power adapter efficiency: Average efficiency of the 20W USB-C Power Adapter with the USB-C Charge Cable (1 m) tested at 100 percent, 75 percent, 50 percent, and 25 percent of the power adapter's rated output current.
19. Trade-in values vary based on condition, year, and configuration of the trade-in device, and may vary between online and in-store trade-in. Must be at least 18 years old. In-store trade-in requires a valid, government-issued photo ID. Additional terms from Apple or Apple's trade-in partners may apply.

Power consumption for iPhone 16e

Arrow indicates Energy Efficiency Class required by the EU Energy Labelling regulation (2023/1669) for smartphones and tablets, effective June 20, 2025.

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