Accelerating progress towards zero waste
Five years ago, we announced our goal to achieve zero waste across our direct operations, products, and packaging by 2030. Today, our progress underscores the necessity of a circular economy to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, reflecting our commitment to preserving our planet’s finite resources.
Our circular economy approach
As a company that manufactures devices, builds campuses and datacenters, and uses manufactured goods across our operations, we recognize the need to implement circular economy principles across the full life cycle of materials. We built our circular economy framework around three pillars: Reduce, Reuse, and Recover. This model, which targets waste prevention first, then focuses on the reuse and recovery of materials, is central to achieving our 2030 commitment.
Our pillars in practice
Increasing use of recycled content in Surface Copilot+ PCs
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Designing for repairability with Surface & Xbox
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Improving reuse and recycling of electronics
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Scaling for greater impact
Advocate for circular policies
Invest for impact
Collaborate on measurement
More about accelerating sustainability
Empowering local water solutions
5 innovations for our sustainable future
Our sustainability journey and progress
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Replacement components available through online Microsoft Store and iFixit for out-of-warranty repair. Components can be replaced by individuals with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices following Microsoft’s Service Guide. Microsoft tools (sold separately) may also be required. Availability of replacement components and service options may vary by product, market and over time. See [Self-repair information for your Surface device - Microsoft Support]. Opening and/or repairing a device can present electric shock, device damage, fire and personal injury risk, and other hazards. Use caution if undertaking self-service repairs. Unless required by law, damage caused during repair is not covered under Microsoft’s Limited Hardware Warranty or protection plans.
Reduce
Increasing use of recycled content in Surface Copilot+ PCs
Creating a more circular electronic device starts with product design and materials selection.
Surface is at the forefront of advancing circular design. Without compromising on quality and customer experience, Microsoft evaluates each new design for opportunities to lower carbon emissions during the manufacturing process and throughout the supply chain by using recycled materials.
Our new Surface Copilot+ PCs now feature 100% recycled aluminum alloys in the enclosures, and 100% recycled rare earth metals in magnets. They’re also packaged in Microsoft’s most sustainable packaging to date, which is fully single-use plastic-free by design and is now the standard for all new products.
Circular design must also account for a future in which products can be returned, repaired, refurbished, and resold. Our approach with Surface demonstrates scalable innovation in design – we evaluate new recycled materials in individual products, and if successful, expand their use across our broader portfolio of products and devices.
Reuse
Designing for repairability with Surface & Xbox
We’ve developed a comprehensive portfolio of repairable devices supported by a robust repair network.
Surface
- New Surface devices are among the most repairable laptops and tablets in the industry, with at least 11 replaceable components, including field replacement units like the battery, display, SSD, and keyboard.
- The new Surface Pro 11th Edition and Laptop 7th Edition achieved an 8/10 repairability score from iFixit.
- Today, our newest Surface devices include easily accessible options for both self-repair instructions and in-person expert repair service.1
Xbox
- At Xbox, we’re continuously working to help extend the longevity of Xbox devices and expand the number of ways players can get support and repair for their Xbox consoles.
- That’s why this year we expanded repairability options for Xbox Series X|S console options – the Xbox Series S – 1TB in Robot White, Xbox Series X – 1TB Digital Edition in Robot White, and Xbox Series X – 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition.
For Xbox and Surface devices, spare parts can be obtained through commercial channels and retail outlets such as the Microsoft Store and iFixit. We’ve also established an Authorized Service Provider (ASP) network to bring certified Microsoft repair closer to our customers worldwide.
Recover
Improving reuse and recycling of electronics
In the past five years, Microsoft has made significant progress toward improving both the reuse and the recycling of cloud hardware through our Circular Centers.
In 2024, Circular Centers supported Microsoft in achieving 90.9% reuse and recycling in FY24—exceeding our 2025 target ahead of schedule.
Since the first Circular Center was launched in 2020, the program has expanded globally, with six facilities operating across the United States, Netherlands, Ireland, and Singapore, and new sites planned in Wales (2025), Australia (2026), and Texas, US (2028).
These centers were developed to process and route decommissioned servers and cloud hardware components from datacenters, helping to identify parts for internal reuse or refurbishment and recover parts for recycling.
Collaborations with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) also allow greater reuse of rare earth oxides and improve recycling processes for complex material types.
Circular Centers form part of a broader recovery ecosystem, which includes a multinational recycling program to reduce logistics emissions. For consumer devices, we have strategic partnerships with global retailers and OEMs for device collection programs.