By Dieter Holger

Microsoft Corp. pledged zero waste from its operations, products and packaging by 2030 and announced a plan to tackle so-called e-waste at its data centers.

The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant said Tuesday that it would divert at least 90% of the solid waste headed to landfills and incineration from its offices and data centers, manufacture fully recyclable Surface computers, use completely recyclable packaging and reach at least 75% diversion of construction and demolition waste for all projects.

Microsoft's pledge comes amid concerns about e-waste, the debris that decommissioned technology leaves behind. Nearly 50 million metric tons of electronic and electric waste are produced every year and, absent action, that amount is set to double by 2050, according to a 2019 report from the World Economic Forum.

As part of its plan, the company said it would invest $30 million to digitize the effort and create so-called "circular centers" at its new major data center, campuses and eventually other sites, which will use machine-learning algorithms to sort and repurpose waste when servers reach the end of their life.

Write to Dieter Holger at dieter.holger@wsj.com; @dieterholger

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 04, 2020 10:46 ET (14:46 GMT)

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