When Apple introduced the refreshed lineup of its Apple Watch bands, the company emphasized how important its commitment is to make all of its products carbon neutral by 2030 starting with its FineWoven bands in place of leather bands and other Watch bands that recycle virgin materials for less waste and carbon emissions such as the Nike Sport Band, which now features flakes that come from repurposed fluoroelastomer.
What you may not have noticed until now is that this eco-friendly design decision gives Apple the opportunity to change the material of the pin-and-tuck closure. If you go to Apple’s website on the Nike Sport Band, you’ll see that the pin-and-tuck closure is now made out of aluminum with a matte finish. Previous Nike Sport Bands used a polished stainless-steel pin.
The switch from stainless steel to aluminum in the pin-and-tuck closure is likely because aluminum is very recyclable, and Apple has been using recycled aluminum across all of its products, including MacBooks, iPads, Apple Watches, and even the newly-announced iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro’s internal structure. The regular Sport Bands did not receive the same treatment in the pin-and-tuck closure as they were just refreshed this week with a fresh new selection of colors with no eco-friendly design or manufacturing changes as stated on Apple’s page.
The Nike Sport Band for Apple Watch is available to order today as well as many other Apple Watch bands that were refreshed this week. Initial orders will be available to customers starting September 22. Make sure to follow us on @Appleosophy to hear even more stories on the all-new products announced this week.
