The newly announced M3-powered 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air is Apple’s first product made with 50% recycled material, a step towards Apple’s 2030 goal of being entirely carbon-neutral and lowering its devices’ environmental impact.
According to Apple, the M3 MacBook Air’s enclosure is made with 100% recycled aluminum, just like other Mac models including the MacBook Pro. In a first for Apple, however, the new MacBook Air’s logic board contains 100% recycled copper, bringing the total amount of recycled content in the new Mac to 50%.
The new MacBook Air is the first Apple product to be made with 50 percent recycled content, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure, 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and, in another first for Apple, 100 percent recycled copper in the main logic board. MacBook Air meets Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, and is free of mercury, brominated flame retardants, and PVC. The packaging is 99 percent fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal to remove plastic from all packaging by 2025.
Apple
In the product’s environmental report, Apple further details the material breakdown and how much each material comprises recycled content. Per the report, the M3 MacBook Air contains 35% or more recycled plastic, 100% recycled tin, 100% recycled rare earth elements, 100% recycled cooper (a first), 100% recycled gold, 90% recycled steel, 15% recycled glass, and 100% recycled cobalt.
Apple continues to push environmental sustainability as a core focus of its new products. In September, the company announced that select Apple Watch Series 9 models are Apple’s first-ever carbon-neutral products. The company also announced FineWoven, a new textile material made from recycled content to replace its leather iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands.
Customers can now order the M3 MacBook Air from Apple.com with deliveries and in-store pickups beginning from Friday, March 8. The 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,099, whereas the 15-inch model is priced from $1,299.
