Microsoft: Zero Waste by 2030
Microsoft is joining the Zero Waste movement. We are happy to tell you that, The company, created by Bill Gates, announced that by 2030 its goal is to have zero residues in their direct operations, products and packages. This purpose is the third aspect of the new sustainable policy of the company. It focuses on carbon, water, ecosystems and residues.
Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, recently published a post on the company’s blog. In it he expressed how the garbage we generate pollutes our environment. Moreover, he also explained the actions they will take to meet the goal of zero waste
“We acknowledge the urgent necessity to protect the world’s ecosystems and reduce the carbon emissions that come from the creation, distribution and elimination of waste”.
Brad Smith, president of Microsoft.
What actions does Microsoft have in its Zero Waste Plan?
- Divert at least 90% of solid residues off of their campus and data centers. These are currently being used as landfills and for incinerations.
- Create Surface devices 100% recyclable.
- Use 100% recyclable packaging (in member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD)
- Divert, at least, 75% of construction and demolition wastes of every project.
- Create Microsoft Circular Centers, which allow the reuse and recycle of devices. These are located first in the new campus or in areas where there are important data centers and then they will be added to the existing ones.
- Eliminate one-use plastics from all the packages, with 2025 as a deadline.
- Invest $30 million in Closed Loop Partners[G1] funds. The idea is to boost infrastructure, innovation and commercial strategies for, among other actions, collect the electronic wastes and recycle products of the industry in pursuit of circular economy at scale.
- Share what they have learned with clients. Clients also should know how much residues they generate. They acknowledging this should help divulge the zero waste lifestyle with technology.
- Prepare employees. For this they are already developing a data panel of Power BI residues internally. They will be launching at the end of this year the first residue reduction challenge.
What projects have they successfully developed?
For some years now, Microsoft has been divulging actions that advocate for zero waste. The company, founded in 1975 with headquarters in Redmon, is quite clear about the global challenge and that it needs everyone’s support.
Since 2008, efforts to reduce waste started. This allowed the Puget Sound campus and the data center in Boydton, Virginia and Dublin, Ireland to have certifications of these types.
While in 2019 the company became partners with H&M, Target, PVH Corp. and others to create a global standard, backed by Azure, named Circular ID. With the purpose of developing the so-called sustainable fashion. This platform allows you to rent, recycle or resell a piece of clothing and thus avoiding its destruction.
They also have a pilot Circular Center in Amsterdam. The work done there has left,other positive results. Among them the reduction of inactive time in the data center and the increase of server and network parts that can be reused.
Zero Waste is an ambitious goal, but minimizing our own waste footprint is essential to preserve the natural resources and reduce carbon emissions associated to wastes to guarantee that the economies and societies of the world prosper for future generations”.
Brad Smith, president of Microsoft
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