Key takeaways
- Expertise giants are “mining” uncommon earth parts and treasured metals from outdated pc {hardware} and recovered electronics to fulfill waste discount targets.
- Apple and Google are additionally recovering treasured metals and uncommon earth parts.
- The corporate recycled or reused nearly 91 % of its decommissioned servers and different information middle {hardware} in 2024.
Microsoft is increasing digital waste assortment from its information facilities with a brand new initiative to get better uncommon earth parts and treasured metals from onerous drives with out utilizing acids.
This system introduced April 17 is a collaboration between drive maker Western Digital together with Essential Supplies Recycling and PedalPoint Recycling. It goals to scale U.S. manufacturing of uncommon earth parts at a time when the world’s greatest provider, China, has threatened to chop off exports amid an escalating international commerce battle.
Thus far, the pilot has processed 50,000 kilos of out of date drives collected at Microsoft information facilities, extracting uncommon earth parts together with neodymium, praseodymium and dysprosium — essential elements for magnets utilized in electrical automobiles and wind generators. The initiative has additionally recovered gold, copper, aluminum and metal.
A Microsoft govt declined to reveal how a lot of those supplies has been recovered, what share of end-of-life onerous drives was included beneath this system or whether or not the corporate obtained a monetary profit by taking part.
“That is the precise factor to do,” mentioned Rani Borkar, company vp of Azure {hardware} and programs at Microsoft, pointing to the corporate’s 2030 zero waste aim.
Rising demand
Microsoft, like its main rivals in cloud computing Google and Amazon, is increasing its information middle footprint at a livid tempo. Arduous drives will account for about 80 % of the info storage capability at hyperscale and cloud companies amenities by way of 2028, in keeping with forecasts by researcher IDC. This expertise relies upon closely on uncommon earth parts and treasured metals, as do many programs enabling the clear power transition.
The supplies already recovered from a number of Microsoft information facilities are being fed again into the U.S. provide chain, which accounts for simply 15 % of uncommon earth manufacturing. Different giant expertise firms, together with Apple and Google, are additionally mining uncommon earths and different treasured metals from outdated electronics and pc {hardware}.
Nobody is doing this at scale. The present U.S. recycling charge for uncommon earths is lower than 10 %, in keeping with Western Digital.
The venture highlighted by Microsoft makes use of a multi-step course of pioneered by Essential Supplies Recycling:
- Out of date or outdated drives are shredded utilizing conventional processes.
- That materials is sorted and processed by PedalPoint, and the magnets and metal are despatched to Essential Supplies for sorting.
- Uncommon earth oxides are extracted utilizing a chemical recycling course of that doesn’t comprise acids.
“This venture isn’t only a milestone, it’s a blueprint for large-scale, home recycling of important metals and supplies that can drive sustainable progress for years to return,” mentioned Jackie Jung, vp of worldwide operations technique and company sustainability at Western Digital.
Demand for uncommon earth metals is rising at 9 % yearly, and the market is projected to achieve $16.3 billion by 2030.
Microsoft’s zero-waste agenda
The uncommon earths restoration effort is only one element of Microsoft’s technique to hold pc {hardware} out of landfills. It recycled or reused near 91 % of the pc servers and different applied sciences that run its Azure cloud companies in 2024, assembly its 2025 goal and maintaining 3.2 million elements in circulation all through its information facilities.
A lot of that work is being delivered by Round Facilities, regional websites that deal with expertise that’s develop into out of date for Microsoft’s information middle functions. The typical lifespan of pc servers is between 4 and 6 years, relying on the applying.
By means of this program, high-value elements similar to reminiscence or central processing items are eliminated and redeployed. Some programs are donated to native organizations similar to faculties or neighborhood teams.
Thus far, Microsoft manages six Round Facilities within the U.S., Eire, the Netherlands and Singapore. It’s planning three extra: in Australia, the U.S. and Wales.
[Gain insights to move beyond incremental action and accelerate the shift to a circular economy at Circularity, April 29-May 1, Denver, CO.]
