MICROSOFT has announced it is to design all Xbox packaging, products and accessories to be 100% recyclable by 2030.
It came as part of the organisation’s environmental sustainability report, which also revealed ambitions to be carbon negative, water positive and zero waste by 2030.
The report detailed how the Xbox Series S became its first console to incorporate post-consumer recycled (PCR) resins into the manufacturing of the body and ‘various’ internal components – with, ‘at a minimum’, 28% of the mechanical component plastic by weight in the console being PCR resin.
Further to this, Microsoft has plans to continue incorporating PCR into its controllers – having started doing so in late 2021. It also revealed that its recent switch from plastic Xbox gift cards to paperboard will save 500,000 kg of plastic annually – with some 18% of single-use plastic having already been saved across its packaging.
The firm also detailed its consumer mail back programme, which allows customers to utilise a free mail back system to encourage responsible end-of-life management of products, accessories and packaging.
Microsoft said, “Microsoft is committed to become a zero waste company by 2030. We are taking an increasingly circular approach to materials management to reduce waste and carbon emissions. Our approach includes design and material selection, responsibly sourcing materials for our operations, products, and packaging, and increasing the use of recycled content. We keep products and materials in use longer through reuse, repair, and recycling programmes.”
