What you need to know
- Google has announced that all its new Pixel and Nest products are now made using recycled materials.
- It had pledged to include recycled materials in all its hardware products by 2022 last year.
- Google now aims to make its product packaging plastic-free by 2025.
Last year, Google had pledged to include recycled materials in all 'Made by Google' products by 2022. Google has now announced that it has hit that goal early, and all its new Pixel and Nest products incorporate recycled material. It has also updated its original goal and plans to use recycled or renewable materials in at least 50% of all plastic used across all Made by Google products by 2025.
David Bourne, Sustainability Systems Architect, Google, wrote in a blog post:
We've invested in integrating sustainability into our products, operations and communities—it's not just part of how we do business, but the centerpiece of it. Our new commitments are the next step, and we plan on pushing ourselves and the industry forward even more in the coming months and years.
The back cover of the Pixel 5 uses 100% recycled aluminum, which helps reduce waste and lowers the carbon footprint of manufacturing the enclosure by 35% compared to using virgin aluminum. Google's new Nest Audio is made using 70% recycled plastic across its enclosure parts, including the acoustic fabric. The new Nest Thermostat's trim plate is made using 75% post-consumer recycled plastic.
Google has now committed to making its product packaging completely plastic-free and 100% recyclable by 2025. To achieve that goal, the company says it will have to "uncover alternative, recyclable materials." Additionally, Google aims to recycle the majority of waste from its operations at all its final assembly manufacturing sites by 2022 to achieve UL 2799 "Zero Waste to Landfill" certification.
