Apple’s new MacBook Air will have Touch ID and a Retina display, but the true headline feature might be in the device’s environmentally-friendly construction.

During its New York event on October 30, Apple announced the device’s enclosure is constructed with 100% recycled aluminium, making it the greenest Mac computer ever made.

In announcing the new 13.3-inch notebook, Apple’s Laura Lagrove said the new construction finally achieved a long-held goal to end the reliance on new, high-grade aluminium ore, while maintaining the sheen and strength Apple fans have come to expect.

The company said its engineers have invented a brand new custom alloy that uses fine shavings of recaptured aluminium, which it re-engineered down to the atomic level. The result is a new MacBook Pro that reduces its carbon footprint by 50% compared to its 13.3-inch predecessor.

Related: Apple October event latest

In a video announcing the new $1,199 MacBook Air, the company said the new laptop “reimagines what our Mac can be but also how it can be made.”

The announcement brought huge cheers from the assembled crowd of Apple employees and enthusiasts at the event in Brooklyn. The new MacBook Air also features 35% more recycled plastic in components like the speakers, while all the tin in the motherboard is recycled.

But the company didn’t stop there. The new Mac mini, which is getting its first major update in four years, will also have a 100% recycled aluminium construction, also reducing its carbon footprint by 50%.

The announcement suggests that all other products in the Mac range could benefit from the 100% recycled aluminium construction, the next time those products are refreshed. It’s likely we’ll see new iMac and MacBook Pro ranges moving forward.

Will this convince you to buy a new Mac mini or MacBook Air? Is this the least Apple should be doing to minimalist its impact ion the environment? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.

Chris Smith is a freelance technology journalist for a host of UK tech publications, including Trusted Reviews. He's based in South Florida, USA. …