As part of Earth Day, today, Apple has announced it will commit to the environment by offering free recycling and more.

Tim Cook, in an Apple video about its environmental efforts, said: "We want to leave the world better than we found it." He explains that Apple is endeavouring to reduce its emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. He mentioned that Apple is "the only company in the sector whose data centres are powered by 100 per cent renewable energy".

READ: Apple Reuse and Recycling Programme goes live in UK Apple Stores today

Apple will now offer free recycling of its products worldwide. If the old product can be reused Apple will buy it from customers with store gift cards, if not then it will recycling the device free of charge.

On top of Apple Stores the company has "also set up recycling programs in cities and college campuses in 95 per cent of the countries where our products are sold, diverting more than 421 million pounds of equipment from landfills since 1994."

And it's not just Apple products the company recycles. It says that over 90 per cent of the gadgets it recycles are not even Apple. Its site says: "In 2010, we set out to achieve a worldwide recycling collection rate of 70 per cent of the total weight of the products we sold seven years earlier. Since then, we have consistently reached 85 per cent."

While Apple admits it still has a long way to go it's clear the environmental focus is there. Products have grown more efficient, in themselves and their packaging over the years too. For example the 1998 iMac used 30W power in stand-by mode where the current model uses just 0.9W – a 97 per cent drop. The latest iPad Air saves 31 per cent materials, by weight, compared to the first iPad – showing getting smaller isn't just good for reading comfortably in bed.

Check out the "Better" video on the Apple website to see more.