Shawdesh Desk:

Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced the goal to achieve “zero waste” for the company’s direct operations, products and packaging by 2030.

To address waste creation, Microsoft will reduce nearly as much waste as it generates while reusing, repurposing or recycling solid, compost, electronics, construction and demolition, and hazardous wastes, the announcement said.

By 2030, the company will divert at least 90 percent of the solid waste headed to landfills and incineration from campuses and data centers, manufacture 100 percent recyclable Surface devices, use 100 percent recyclable packaging (in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, countries), and achieve at minimum 75 percent diversion of construction and demolition waste for all projects.

The company will build a “first-of-their-kind” Microsoft Circular Centers with the expectation to increase the reuse of servers and components by up to 90 percent by 2025.

“Our zero waste goal is the third sprint in Microsoft’s broad environmental sustainability initiative launched earlier this year focusing on carbon, water, ecosystems and waste,” said Microsoft President Brad Smith in the announcement.

“We will make new investments in Closed Loop Partners’ funds. And finally, we’ll enlist our own employees to reduce their own waste footprints,” he added.