Google’s best practices for recycled materials

Google's Pixel 10a phone, released in March, is made from 36 percent recycled material by weight — more than the latest iPhone models. That includes recycled aluminum, cobalt, copper, gold, tin, tungsten, plastics and glass. Getting there took about a decade of work across Google's design, engineering and supply chain teams. Company-wide, 48 percent of the plastic in Google's phones, watches, speakers and other devices now comes from recycled sources.

The Pixel 10 line marks the first time Google has used recycled cobalt, copper, gold and tungsten in a smartphone. The phone's frame is entirely recycled aluminum, and 81 percent of the plastic in its back cover is recycled. Google started with plastic because it made up a large share of device material and had a more established recycling supply chain, then expanded to other materials once that worked.

Switching to recycled content brings engineering challenges — recycled plastics can yellow or pick up dark specks, and recycled materials can behave differently under stress, heat or weight, requiring design changes. Google says it addresses this by working closely with suppliers, requiring certifications, and putting recycled-material devices through the same drop, heat, chemical and bonding tests as those made with new materials.

This is a manufacturing and product-design story rather than a home energy one — it does not involve rebates, weatherization programs or equipment homeowners would install. It shows how one major electronics maker is shifting toward recycled materials in consumer gadgets.