Apple received criticism from environmental groups for its poor recycling performance and use of toxic chemicals. In response, Apple removed toxic chemicals from its products and implemented an aggressive recycling program. It has recycled over 19 million pounds of e-waste annually, nearly 30% of the weight of products it sold the prior year. Apple designs its products to be recyclable, offers take-back programs, and holds recycling vendors to high environmental standards to improve its recycling efforts globally.