Google has published a comprehensive Recycled Materials Guide, sharing its internal engineering, design, and operational secrets for integrating recycled metals and plastics into consumer hardware.
The move aims to help sustainability professionals across the tech sector overcome common manufacturing hurdles and accelerate the transition to a global circular economy.
In developing the guide, Google addressed a long-standing industry deadlock: brands were reluctant to commit to recycled materials without a steady supply, while suppliers would not scale production without guaranteed demand.
By partnering closely with suppliers to signal consistent demand, Google helped build the necessary supply chains for materials such as cobalt, rare earth elements, and recycled aluminium, making them more accessible for other brands.
The guide highlights Google’s recent progress in hardware sustainability:
- Plastic targets: In 2025, 48% of the plastic used in Google hardware was recycled content, nearing its target of 50%.
- Material by weight: The Pixel 10a contains 36% recycled materials by weight, while the Nest Wifi Pro has reached 60%.
- Broad integration: The firm now tracks recycled content across a vast spectrum, including gold, tin, tungsten, and glass.
To encourage industry-wide adoption, Google has released the guide as a downloadable PDF and an interactive tool within NotebookLM. This follows previous open-source releases on plastic-free packaging and carbon reduction.
“We believe that true industry transformation will happen when sustainable practices become the standard,” the company stated, emphasizing that these insights are intended to be improved upon by the wider tech community.
