Microsoft reveals major sustainability "zero-waste" goal reached, Caitlin Connell

Microsoft has achieved a significant milestone in its sustainability journey by reaching a 90.9% reuse and recycling rate for servers and components in 2024, surpassing its 2025 target a year ahead of schedule. This accomplishment underscores the company's commitment to its broader environmental goals, including becoming carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste by 2030.

A key driver of this success is Microsoft's global network of Circular Centers, which process decommissioned hardware for reuse and recycling. In 2024 alone, over 3.2 million components were repurposed through these centers. Additionally, Microsoft has innovated in sustainable packaging, diverting over 2,500 metric tons of waste from landfills by redesigning packaging materials for easier recycling.

Collaborations with partners like Western Digital have enabled the recovery of rare earth elements from retired hard drives using an acid-free process, achieving a 90% recovery rate and reducing emissions by up to 95% compared to traditional methods .

Microsoft's proactive approach sets a benchmark for the tech industry, demonstrating that ambitious sustainability goals are attainable through innovation and collaboration.

Microsoft has also continued to expand its Circular Centers globally with the goal of processing and routing decommissioned servers and hardware components onto their next useful lives – things ike academies that train data center technicians. Its first Circular Center, located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, opened in 2020. Five more across the US, Ireland and Singapore have followed since then, and the company has already drawn up plans for new sites in Cardiff, Wales; New South Wales, Australia and San Antonio, Texas.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/microsoft-reveals-major-sustainability-zero-waste-goal-reached/ar-AA1DjIPm?ocid=BingNewsVerp

Data center server racks. IT modern hardware server room, data storage center, database information system. Hosting, it data backup, computing technology service, network security, artificial intelligence supercomputers, 3D mixed-media illustration

unknownx500

Creating, sharing and inspiring change. For good.

The global issues we face are challenging and interconnected. They can seem insurmountable. But if you know where to look, co-operation, positive change and hope are all around us. Build Back Ever Better is a project that recognises the progress being made, and the amazing people who are making a difference. Share your own hopes, pledges and projects with #BBEB, or become a contributor.