Apple Is Offering a Recycling Trade-In Bonus for Earth Day
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Apple is once again celebrating Earth Day, but this time, it’s giving us an extra twist that may even help offset some of the increasing costs from the ongoing trade wars.
Apple routinely commemorates Earth Day by touting its environmental initiatives, and this year is no exception. The crux of its announcement is how it surpassed a new milestone in emissions reductions, cutting global greenhouse gas output by more than 60 percent compared to 2015.
“We’re incredibly proud of the progress we’re making toward Apple 2030, which touches every part of our business,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. “Today, we’re using more clean energy and recycled materials to make our products than ever before, we’re preserving water and preventing waste around the world, and we’re investing big in nature.”
Apple is striving to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by 2030. It’s also now using 99 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 99 percent recycled cobalt in its Apple-designed batteries. The full details can be found in its latest Environmental Progress Report.
While that’s an exciting and positive move for the environment, Apple is doing something extra this year that will have a more direct and practical impact on our wallets.
In addition to its normal Apple Trade In program, which lets you get credit for handing over nearly any iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or even an Android phone made in the last 5-7 years, Apple has announced a limited-time offer that will give you 10 percent off an Apple accessory when trading in older Apple devices and other eligible electronics that don’t qualify for the normal trade-in program.
How Does This Work?
Firstly, this offer is only available until May 16, and you’ll have to visit a brick-and-mortar Apple Store in a participating country to take advantage of it. Fortunately, that list is pretty long and includes the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and many others.
You must also purchase a new Apple accessory at the same time. You can’t use the credit toward a future purchase, and it can’t be applied to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. The good news is that the AirPods 4, Apple TV 4K, and HomePod mini are considered “accessories” in this case. However, the full-sized HomePod, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max are not, so it seems that Apple is setting a $200 price cap here.
This aligns with what Mark Gurman reported on X yesterday when he said the discount would be “up to $20 off.” Apple’s terms don’t mention a $20 limit, just a straight 10%, but that’s effectively the same thing when the only qualifying accessories are all under $200.
Here’s the complete list of what’s eligible, according to Apple:
- AirPods 4
- AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
- AirTags (1-pack or 4-pack)
- Apple Pencil
- Apple TV 4K
- HomePod mini
- Magic Keyboard (excluding Magic Keyboard for iPad)
- Magic Mouse
- Magic Trackpad
- Apple Branded Adapters
- Apple Branded Apple Watch bands
- Apple Branded Cables
- Apple Branded Chargers
- Apple Branded iPad cases
- Apple Branded iPhone cases
Note the words “Apple Branded” here. Only products made by Apple can be purchased with this credit, regardless of whatever else is sold in your local Apple Store.
What Can I Trade In?
The good news is that the list of devices eligible for trade-in is quite comprehensive. It includes not only any older Apple devices but nearly any other type of computer electronics.
Apple specifically names AirPods, AirPort, AirTag, Apple TV, HomePod, and iPod as the Apple products on the list. While there’s no mention of iPhones, iPads, or Macs, those would come under the broader categories of computers, smartphones, and tablets.
Of course, any iPhone, iPad, or Mac released in the last five years is likely eligible for the normal trade-in values, which are almost certainly more than this promotional will offer you (even an iPhone 8 can still net you $45). Still, if you have an old iPhone 4 kicking around, Apple will take it as part of this promotion.
In addition to the specific Apple devices, the complete list includes computers, displays, hard drives & storage, headphones & speakers, mice & keyboards, networking, printers & scanners, smartphones, tablets, and watches. In short, it appears Apple will be happy to take nearly any old computer-related thing you have kicking around.
The Fine Print
The accessory must be purchased in person at an Apple retail store. Orders made via the Apple Online Store are not eligible, even if they are for pick up at an Apple Store.
You’re also limited to recycling up to five devices for a promotion credit. It’s unclear how closely Apple will track this, but the terms of the offer say that you’ll need to present a valid photo ID. Apple notes that local laws may require the company to record and save this information, so Apple could also use this to determine how many times you’ve taken advantage of the promotion.
While 10% likely won’t be enough to make you rush out and buy a new Apple product, it’s a nice bonus if there’s something that you may have already been thinking about picking up, especially since Apple rarely offers any direct discounts on its products. Even its annual Back to School and Black Friday events only provide gift cards that can be applied to future purchases.
The 2025 Earth Day Promotion begins today, April 16, 2025, and runs until May 16, 2025. Read the full terms and conditions here.
