Google has also committed to using recycled or renewable material in at least 50% of all plastic used across all its hardware products by 2025

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Google became carbon neutral in 2007 (Credit: Pixabay)

Google has committed to making all of its product packaging 100% plastic-free and 100% recyclable by 2025.

It’s part of the technology giant’s next steps on the journey toward more sustainable hardware.

Google has also committed to using recycled or renewable material in at least 50% of all plastic used across all its hardware products by 2025, prioritising recycled plastic everywhere it can.

It’s also looking to achieve a Zero Waste to Landfill certification from global safety certification organisation UL at all final assembly manufacturing sites by 2022.

It follows on from the commitment by Google’s consumer hardware division to make sure all of its products include recycled materials by 2022.

 

How has Google made its products more sustainable and use less virgin plastic?

As part of its work to develop sustainable products, the back cover of Google’s recently launched Pixel 5 is made with 100% recycled aluminium.

It was the first phone developed by the firm to incorporate recycled aluminium, which not only eliminates the use of mined aluminium in the enclosure and reduce waste, it also lowers the carbon footprint of manufacturing the enclosure by 35% compared to using virgin aluminium.

Alongside this, its new Nest Audio contains 70% recycled plastic across its enclosure parts including the acoustic fabric and is covered in the same sustainable fabric that it first introduced with Nest Mini last year.

For its latest Nest Thermostat, it made the trim plate from 75% post-consumer recycled plastic.

Google’s focus on incorporating recycled materials in its hardware design not only supports its sustainability commitments but also enables its supply chain partners to confidently invest in and develop these types of materials.

All of this work is part of the firm’s commitment to “eliminate” its carbon legacy, covering all of its operational emissions before it became carbon neutral in 2007.

As part of this, it’s investing in technologies to help partners and people all over the world to make sustainable choices and to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy in all of its data centres and campuses worldwide.

It estimates that all of its commitments will directly generate more than 20,000 new jobs in clean energy and associated industries globally by 2025.