Skip to main content

Google says it will use recycled materials in all of its hardware products by 2022

Google says it will use recycled materials in all of its hardware products by 2022

/

It also pledges a carbon-neutral shipment program by 2020

Share this story

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Google today pledged to include recycled materials in all of its Made By Google products by 2022. The portfolio currently includes hardware like Pixel phones, Pixelbooks, Google Home speakers, Nest, and accessories like phone cases and charging stands.

In an interview with Fast Company, Google said it had begun using recycled plastic in Chromecast devices and used plastic bottles to create the fabric on Google Homes and cases. The move follows Apple’s green initiative to use recycled materials in its products, with the company going so far as to make an in-house robot that disassembles old hardware for parts. Earlier this year, Samsung also announced a similar pledge, promising to use sustainable materials in its product packaging.

In addition to using recycled materials, Google also said that it would pledge to make all its shipments carbon neutral by 2020 to promote sustainability in its hardware division. In an interview with Fast Company, Google’s head of sustainability for hardware, Anna Meegan, said the team was able to reduce emissions by 40 percent by switching from air shipments to cargo. (The article is unclear about the time period during which the reduction occurred.) That mission means the team needs to better forecast their development and production process since cargo shipments take longer than air.

If you want to take part, Google currently has a recycling partnership program that will provide a shipping label for you to send in Google devices you no longer need. The program is currently limited to the US.