Circular economy
How we’re accelerating the transition to a circular economy
Google is working to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in which business creates environmental, economic and community value through the maximum reuse of finite resources. Our approach to circularity is anchored around three core principles:
1. Design-out waste and pollution. This means designing for circularity from the start, enabling existing products to become future resources.
2. Keep products and materials in use. This means extending the effective life of products or materials as long as is safely possible, to make the most of all the resources that went into their creation.
3. Promote safe and healthy materials. This means designing products with materials that are safe for both people and the planet, recognizing that these materials will be used and reused long into the future.
Our impact on the circular economy cuts across all of our core business operations. It includes the data centers we build and operate to power our products, the workplaces where Googlers come together to create the next breakthrough technology, and the consumer hardware products that people use every day. Our impact also spans the entire value chain, including safer chemistry, manufacturing waste, and electronic waste recycling.
Our key efforts
Zero waste to landfill
Tracking our progress
Target
Achieve Zero Waste to Landfill for our global data center operations.
Target year
N/A
Status
2022
10 out of 26 (38%) Google-owned and -operated data centers have achieved zero-waste to landfill2
Related resources
Did you know?
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As of the end of 2022, 21% of components used for server deployment, maintenance, and upgrades were refurbished inventory.
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In 2022, across our global fleet of Google-owned and -operated data center operations, we diverted 86% of operational waste away from landfills.
E-waste recycling
Related resources
1 We offer free recycling for eligible products from any brand. Learn more about Google's recycling program here.
Manufacturing waste
Tracking our progress
Target
Achieve UL 2799 Zero Waste to Landfill certification at all final assembly consumer hardware manufacturing sites by 2022.1
Target year
2022
Status
2022
We achieved UL 2799 Zero Waste to Landfill certification at Silver or higher for 90% of our established final assembly sites.
Related resources
Did you know?
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Half of our final assembly sites achieved 100% landfill diversion.
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For our Nest Wifi Pro, we partnered with multiple part suppliers in 2022 to replace 32 tons of plastic with corrugated cardboard, which is easier to recycle.
1 Learn more about UL 2799 Zero Waste to Landfill certification.
Safer chemistry
Related resources
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Apple, Google, and ChemFORWARD join forces to drive support for safer flame retardants in the Electronics Sector
Design and construction
Related resources
Did you know?
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In total, 3,400 tons of waste (or 91% of total waste generated) was diverted from landfill during the construction of our newest addition to Google’s Sunnyvale campus— 237 Moffett Park Drive.
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In 2021, we opened our first flagship retail store in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, which achieved LEED Platinum status. And, in 2022, we opened our second retail location in Brooklyn, New York, which also earned a LEED Platinum rating.
Food waste
Tracking our progress
Target
Divert all food waste from landfill by 2025.
Target year
2025
Status
2022
85% of food waste diverted from landfill
Related resources
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ReFED and Closed Loop Partners Announce Funding Platform Targeted to Raise $100M for Food Waste Solutions with Support from Google and The Betsy and Jesse Fink Family Foundation
Did you know?
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From 2014 through 2021, we prevented nearly 10 million pounds of food from entering landfills.
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Global searches for “how to reduce food waste” have more than doubled over the past five years.1
Single-use plastics
Related resources
Did you know?
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Up to 13 million tonnes of plastic leaks into the ocean every year—equivalent to dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute.2
2 The State of Plastics: World Environment Day Outlook 2018. UNEP, 2018, https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/25513/state_plastics_WED.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Recycled materials
Tracking our progress
Target
Use recycled or renewable material in at least 50% of plastic used across our consumer hardware product portfolio by 2025.
Target year
2025
Status
2022
41% of the plastic Google used in products manufactured in 2022 was recycled content.5
Related resources
Did you know?
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Using recycled materials can also lower the carbon footprint of our product manufacturing. For example, the aluminum in the phone enclosures of Pixel 5, 6, 6 Pro, 76, and 7 Pro6 is made with 100% recycled content, reducing the carbon footprint of the aluminum portion of the enclosures by over 35% compared to 100% primary aluminum.7
1 Our consumer hardware products include Pixel, Nest, Chromecast, and Fitbit devices.
6 Availability varies by country. Please visit the Google Store Help site for details.
Sustainable packaging
Tracking our progress
Target
Make product packaging 100% plastic-free by 2025.
Target year
2025
Status
2022
For new Google products launched and manufactured in 2022, our packaging was at least 96% plastic-free.1
Related resources
Did you know?
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Packaging for Pixel 7 and 7 Pro uses 99% plastic-free materials.2
Product longevity
Related resources
Did you know?
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The new Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition is made of 50% post-consumer recycled aluminum, and is the most customizable Chromebook yet.
1 See g.co/pixel/updates for more details.
Report
Closing the Plastics Circularity Gap: Full Report
This study determines the strategic low-risk and no-risk interventions under multiple future scenarios that can create irreversible momentum toward plastic circularity. It evaluates six polymers in three major regions of the world, representing 86% of current global plastics demand, examines a suite of interventions, and identifies critical elements to catalyze circular supply chains.
March 2022
Recycling services on Google Maps & Search
Related resources
Did you know?
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Supporting eco-conscious brands is top of mind for the 82% of consumers who have deemed sustainability a top priority.
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And people using Google recognize that recycling plays a crucial role in preserving the future of our planet, since “recycling” has historically been one of the most popular Search topics.
Buying pre-owned items
Related resources
Did you know?
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The apparel industry is responsible for nearly 7% of global carbon emissions, so clothing choices have a big impact on reducing both waste and emissions.4