Google is going green with its ‘Made by Google’ devices

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Google is trying to be more friendly to the environment, starting with its Made By Google devices. That means that everything from Pixel smartphones to Google Home speakers to the entire Nest range will feature recycled materials in their construction.

Google is taking it further than simply adding in recycled materials, it has also tasked the design team with thinking “about how to make products that last as long as possible, are easy to disassemble for recycling at the end of the product’s life, and use the most sustainable materials.”

Google has pledged to reduce its carbon footprint by next year

The big G had already started along the road to sustainability back in 2017, when it changed all devices shipments to container ships instead of airfreight. That simple change dropped carbon emissions by 40-percent. It’s a bold move, railing against the throwaway culture of ever-increasingly cheaper electronics.

Google’s new sustainability promises are:

• By 2020, 100 percent of all shipments going to or from customers will be carbon neutral
• Starting in 2022, 100 percent of Made by Google products will include recycled materials with a drive to maximize recycled content wherever possible.
• [Google will] make technology that puts people first and expands access to the benefits of technology.

If you want to take part in the efforts, Google has a recycling program for its devices.

What do you think? Glad to see the company making these steps? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.