Apple will invest R $ 35 million in partnership to smelter aluminum in a more sustainable way

Apple is taking another step on its long journey to become a global example of sustainability. The company announced today that it is investing 13 million Canadian dollars (approximately R $ 35 million) in a joint venture christened Elysis, which brings an innovative method of aluminum which does not emit carbon monoxide or any polluting gases.

Elysis is, in essence, a collaboration between two of the world’s leading aluminum suppliers, Alcoa and the Rio Tinto; together, the companies will employ and further develop the patented “clean” metal casting technology. Apple said its support was instrumental in establishing the partnership, which will be based in Montreal, in Canada, and will also count on investments from the Canadian and Québec provinces.

Tim Cook shared a few words about the initiative:

Apple is committed to advancing technologies that are good for the planet, to help protect it for generations to come. We are proud to be part of this new and ambitious project, and we look forward to the day when we can use, in the assembly of our products, aluminum produced without the direct emission of greenhouse gases.

It is good to note that, even with the large investment, Apple will not have a part of the control of Elysis; instead, the company should provide technical consultations to the enterprise and will certainly have a preference (and perhaps a good discount) when purchasing the material when it is ready for sale. Which is great, considering that aluminum is one of the main materials used in the manufacture of basically all Apple products.

Aluminum production at Elysis, consortium with Apple investmentAluminum production at Elysis, consortium with Apple investment

As the aluminum smelting process that will be employed by Elysis releases only oxygen, Apple will have yet another gigantic letter up its sleeve when it comes to selling its environmental responsibility – and it seems that it is difficult to overcome the magnitude of the last announcement related to the topic.

It remains to be seen, of course, when the production of the material will reach a fast enough pace for the Apple to start using aluminum from Elysis in its products. We hope it won’t take long (and that fashion will catch on), because the planet thanks you.