Last Updated on 06/08/2019 by TDH Publishing (A)
Google recently pledged to incorporate recycled materials altogether of its Made By Google products by 2022. The portfolio presently includes hardware like Pixel phones, Pixel books, Google Home speakers, Nest, and accessories like phone cases and charging stands.
In an interview with Fast Company, Google said it had started using recycled plastic in Chromecast devices and used plastic bottles to make 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 declared a similar pledge, promising to use sustainable materials in its product packaging.
Additionally, besides 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 cut down emissions by 40% by switching from air shipments to cargo. That mission means that the team needs to better forecast their development and production method since cargo shipments take longer than air.
Companies like Apple and Samsung have set out identical targets as part of an eco-friendly push among the industry, including the iPhone manufacturer’s increasing use of recycled material in its own devices. Likewise, Samsung recently promised to make sustainable materials a feature of its packaging for products. Google, meanwhile, had already started down this road before now, together with recycled plastic in Chromecast products, for instance.
If users wish to take part, Google currently has a recycling partnership program that will provide a shipping label for them to send in Google devices they no longer need. The program is currently limited to the US.
