In 2016, we announced our aim to achieve Zero Waste to Landfill for our global data center operations. We consider “zero waste to landfill" for our data center operations to mean that more than 90% of waste is diverted from landfill and incineration, in line with industry standards.

In 2023, following our updated waste accounting methodology, we diverted 78% of operational waste from disposal across our global fleet of Google-owned and -operated data centers, and 29% (8 out of 28) of our Google-owned and -operated data center campuses met our Zero Waste to Landfill goal.

Beyond these goals for landfill waste, our approach to circularity for data center equipment is to maintain servers for as long as possible, refurbish components for future reuse, reuse or resell components following a rigorous security process, and recycle any components that can’t be reused.

Since 2015, we’ve resold more than 44 million hardware components from our data centers into the secondary market for reuse by other organizations, including more than 7 million resold components in 2023 alone.

Since all products will eventually become obsolete, availability of and participation in e-waste recycling programs is important to help keep electronics out of landfills at their end of life. E-waste contains critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, and copper that are vital to the production of new electronics and clean energy technologies, such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and batteries. Recycling generates significant environmental benefits by reducing the need to mine and process new materials.

We are focused on sourcing recycled and sustainable materials from our supply chain, and we recognize that the supply chain is only able to provide recycled materials when robust recycling collection, processing infrastructure, and technologies are available. For devices at the end of their service life, we offer free recycling in every country where we ship consumer hardware products.¹

While e-waste recycling programs are generally available, they often have low consumer participation rates. That’s why, in 2022, we joined forces with industry peers and electronics recycling startup Retrievr on a new e-waste recycling pilot designed to address the behavioral reasons that stop consumers from recycling. Unlike recycling household items like food packaging or shipping boxes, electronics have unique barriers to overcome before consumers feel comfortable taking action. The goal is to study how the industry can reduce barriers and increase participation in e-waste recycling.

We’re protecting our people—and planet—through safer chemistry and responsible management across our hardware products and processes aimed at protecting users and manufacturers alike.

For many years we’ve been refining our approach and developing programs to drive processes with safer human and environmental outcomes, because the chemical safety of materials plays a role in the impacts they can have on supply chain workers, users, and natural ecosystems. Through our Product Restricted Substances Specification and Manufacturer Restricted Substances List (MRSL), we restrict many hazardous substances and ensure our suppliers have processes in place to detect and prevent them from entering the manufacturing process. We’ve laid a solid foundation as we pursue our next level goals in safe chemistry.

In 2023, we introduced new hazard-based requirements, including mandatory hazard ratings and restrictions for solvents and flame retardants with a ChemFORWARD Hazard Band rating of “F” (or equivalent rating from other hazard assessment frameworks). We also maintain a Responsible Chemical Management program, which includes assessments, guidance, and training resources to help suppliers better mitigate occupational and environmental risks related to the chemicals they use.

In 2024, Google, along with other companies, provided seed funding for the Safer Chemistry Impact Fund, which aims to advance science-based, data-driven solutions to systematically eliminate hazardous chemicals and replace them with verified, safer alternatives.

Building design and construction is one of the largest sources of global waste, still adhering closely to a traditional take-make-waste model. Buildings are typically constructed using carbon-intensive materials such as concrete and steel, and they are typically demolished for total site clearance. Together, roughly 30%¹ of all global annual waste comes from building construction and demolition.

When we design and build Google workplaces and stores around the world, we strive to be thoughtful about what materials we bring into our offices and use (and reuse) them more efficiently.

When the right opportunity comes up, we pursue adaptive reuse projects, renovating existing buildings to serve a new purpose rather than demolishing them for new builds. Some examples include our Playa Vista, California, office—a repurposed 1943 airplane hangar, and our Pier 57 office in New York City—a historic cruise terminal and transit depot that sat vacant for 20 years before Google reimagined it into an office and community space. We also consider adaptive reuse for our data centers, such as for our data center in Hamina, Finland, which was formerly an abandoned paper mill.

To make our workplaces more circular, we design adaptable spaces that can be adjusted over time using fewer renovation materials, we incorporate reuse and material salvage practices, and we provide a rigorous model for healthy materials that can be adopted by others.

Once a building is open, we strive to minimize the amount of materials being sent to landfill from our workplaces through strategies like reserving adequate space for waste storage and containers; incorporating reusables; providing consistent signage and locations for containers; creating the ability to separate materials; and ensuring that loading docks can handle onsite processing.

To achieve a low-carbon circular economy, we need to collectively cut back on food waste. At Google, that means doubling down on our efforts to reduce waste in our kitchens and cafes. In 2023, we reduced food waste per Googler by approximately 38% compared to 2019, building on an 18% reduction in 2022.¹ We also have an ambitious goal to send zero food waste to the landfill by 2025. In 2023, we diverted 82% of food waste from landfill.

To further reduce food waste, we are strengthening our efforts in three key areas across our food program:

1. At the sourcing and procurement stage, we’re working with our suppliers, distributors, and vendors to prevent waste before it happens.
2. In our kitchen and cafe operations, we’re preventing waste from the moment we receive ingredients all the way through to serving a finished dish.
3. And when there’s excess food—whether as prepared dishes or plate waste—we’re ensuring it’s donated or properly composted.

We are making measurable reductions across back-of-house operations through improved culinary practices and demand planning to ensure our production levels are consistent with user dining patterns.

Further progress will rely heavily on continued engagement of our vendor partner operations teams, further enabling Googlers to join in and expanding partnerships with municipal and community organizations to accelerate the pace of food donations and develop compost infrastructure.

The world’s plastic pollution problem is a large and complex challenge—more than 91% of plastic isn’t recycled and the majority is left sitting in landfills or littering our oceans and communities.¹

Reducing plastic waste requires entire industries to come together and take more meaningful action. At Google, that means rethinking our approach to the way we source products, serve food, and reduce our waste. On our journey toward reducing single-use plastics across our on-site food program, we’re switching from single-use disposable products to more reusable solutions—whether it’s snack wrappers or distribution and delivery packaging.

Improving our plastics footprint isn’t as simple as just not buying single-use plastics. To reduce single-use plastics (upstream) and bridge the infrastructure gaps for recycling and composting (downstream), we need to activate the entire food ecosystem, from manufacturers to distributors to waste management companies. We do this by working with vendors and suppliers to avoid or phase out products with single-use plastics; rethinking how we handle, store, prepare, and serve food and beverages; and using recoverable materials that are recyclable or compostable.

We’re piloting and scaling plastic-free processes and products in our kitchens and partnering with distributors that are using more reusable and durable containers to transport goods. In April 2023, we launched our Single-Use Plastics Challenge, giving food companies that don’t use single-use plastics in their packaging the opportunity to test their products in Google’s U.S. campus cafes and kitchens. In December 2023, we announced the nine finalist companies, with solutions ranging from reusable snack bags to edible cutlery, refillable commercial cooking oil vessels, data-powered bulk food dispensers, and more.

Our ambition is to create consumer hardware devices¹ that leave people, the planet, and our communities better than we found them.

Since launching our first consumer hardware devices, we’ve set out to integrate sustainability considerations into materials sourcing and science, engineering and supply chain operations, carbon emissions reductions, waste reduction, packaging products, and designing our retail stores. We aim to decrease our use of virgin materials through our procurement of recycled materials and extend the life of our products through software updates and expanded repair options.

Reducing how much waste we generate as a company and minimizing the demand for new raw materials starts with how we source materials that go into our products.

In 2019, we announced our aim to include recycled materials in 100% of Google consumer hardware products launching in 2022 and every year after.² We first achieved this goal in 2020 for our Nest, Pixel, and Chromecast devices, and have maintained it for these products launched each year since—through 2023.³ Additionally, Fitbit devices launched in 2023 included recycled materials—the first year Fitbit devices were included in this goal.⁴

In 2020, we updated our target, committing to use recycled or renewable material in at least 50% of plastic used across our consumer hardware product portfolio by 2025, prioritizing recycled plastic everywhere we can. 34% of the plastic Google used in products manufactured in 2023 was recycled content.⁵ This includes recycled material used in our devices’ aluminum, stainless steel, rare earth magnet, glass, and plastic parts.

Product packaging typically contains many materials—like the plastic film materials you often see on electronic packages—which can be difficult to recycle. That’s why we’re committed to eliminating plastic from our hardware product packaging by 2025. By focusing on fiber-based materials, we’re enabling consumers to more easily recycle our packaging and ensure that the materials will be accepted in as many recycling systems as possible.

We’re working to achieve this commitment by designing Pixel, Nest, Chromecast, and Fitbit packaging to minimize the use of plastic. For new Google products launched and manufactured in 2023, our packaging was at least 99% plastic-free,¹ and packaging for Pixel 8 and 8 Pro uses 100% plastic-free materials,² getting us closer to this goal. For more information on packaging for each of our products, see our Product Environmental Reports.

By focusing on fiber-based materials, we’re also making our packaging more easily recyclable and ensuring that the materials will be accepted in as many recycling systems as possible. We’ll continue to work with suppliers to create plastic-free packaging solutions that are protective and aesthetic.

Creating truly sustainable electronics includes crafting experiences that guide consumers through the care, repair, reuse and recycling of their products. While there is much more work to do, we’ve taken some initial steps in understanding consumers’ and organizations’ needs and creating new services for them.

It all starts with making sure products last long to begin with. Enabling security updates and bug fixes helps promote product longevity. For Google Nest, we issue critical bug fixes and patches for at least five years after launch. Pixel 6 and later Pixel phones will get security updates for five years from when they first become available on the Google Store in the United States.¹ In 2023, we announced our commitment to providing seven years of software support for Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and future Pixel phones, including Android operating system and security updates.¹ And new Chromebooks are built with sustainability in mind, with automatic updates for 10 years that keep them running fast and secure.

Providing new ways to repair electronics is an important way to extend their life. In 2022, we announced our partnership with iFixit to provide genuine Pixel spare parts, tools, and documentation on models as far back as Pixel 2 for users who are skilled in repair and independent service providers. This partnership, alongside our other mail-in and authorized service provider repair channels, lowers costs and expands the choices customers have in Pixel phone repair. In tandem with our trade-in program, this extends the usable life of Pixel phones.

In 2022, we announced ChromeOS Flex and the Chromebook Repair program which aim to extend the useful life of laptops, PCs, and Chromebooks alike. ChromeOS Flex helps extend the life of aging Macs, PCs, and Linux devices by converting them to the ChromeOS ecosystem and reducing the amount of e-waste that’s generated.

We partner with device manufacturers (OEMs) to help increase the number of new Chromebooks that are made with recycled materials and are easy to customize, repair, and upgrade. You can upgrade the laptop’s memory and storage and replace key parts like the screen, battery and webcam without needing to replace your entire laptop.

In 2022, we launched a new feature that makes it easier than ever for people to find nearby recycling points on Search and Maps.¹

In addition to providing information on recycling depots and waste transfer stations, we’re also helping small businesses share when they offer in-store recycling. By adding the recycling attribute to Business Profiles on Search and Maps, local storefronts and shops can show the recycling services they offer in just a few clicks—whether it’s for plastic bottles, packaging, or electronics. As a result, people looking for something like “battery recycling near me” can more easily pinpoint local businesses with the in-store recycling they need.

In addition, people who visit certain locations can make contributions in Maps and let others in their community know what types of materials can be recycled.

Global search interest in "slow fashion" reached an all time high in the U.S. in 2024.¹ And global searches for “thrifting” more than doubled over the past 3 years,² reaching an all time high in 2023.³ Buying pre-owned items is a small action people can take to live more sustainably.

In 2022, we launched enhancements to the Google Shopping experience in the U.S. for pre-owned products, such as used and refurbished products. We’re highlighting which products are pre-owned, making it easier for people to find and buy second-hand items.⁴