Increasing our use of recycled materials

We’re trying to reduce how much waste we generate as a company and minimize the demand for new raw materials — this starts with how we source materials that go into our products. Approximately 30% of all materials used in our new products launched and manufactured in 2022 were recycled content. This includes recycled material used in our devices’ aluminum, stainless steel, rare earth magnet, glass and plastic parts. For plastic specifically, 48% of all materials used came from recycled content.

Using recycled materials also lowers the carbon footprint of our product manufacturing. For example, the aluminum in the phone enclosures of Pixel 7 and 7 Pro is made with 100 percent recycled content, reducing the carbon footprint of the aluminum portion of the enclosures by over 35% compared to using aluminum that’s not recycled.

Providing new ways to repair phones

Last year, we announced our partnership with iFixit to provide genuine Pixel spare parts, tools and documentation on models as far back as Pixel 2 for customers who are skilled in repair and independent service providers. This partnership, alongside our other mail-in and authorized service provider repair channels, expand the choices customers have in Pixel phone repair.

Improving our packaging

Product packaging typically contains many materials — like the plastic film materials you often see on electronic packages — which can be difficult to recycle. That’s why we’re committed to eliminating plastic from our hardware product packaging by 2025. Our latest packaging for Pixel 7 uses 99% plastic-free materials, getting us closer to this goal. Overall, in 2022, we reduced Pixel packaging plastic by 97%, and reduced the volume of packages by 54% and the weight by over 50% when compared to our first Pixel phone.