Xbox: 100% recyclable products by 2030

At Microsoft, and by extension at Xbox, we have made strong commitments to considerably reduce the impact of our business on the environment, around three strong ambitions by 2030: a negative carbon footprint, a positive water footprint and a zero-waste policy.

If our mission is to allow everyone to enjoy the joys of video games, we are also aware that video games have an impact on our environment. Our commitment to players, but also to the industry, is to work tirelessly to reduce this impact in a responsible and sustainable way.

Microsoft’s 2021 Sustainability Report

Today, Microsoft published the 2021 edition of its Sustainability Report which provides an update on the progress of the commitments we have made.

The choices we make in the design, manufacture and delivery of our products have an impact on the environment; the same applies to their use and the management of their end of life, in particular their recycling. Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, thus indicated today that the sales of Xbox and their use, accelerated in the context of the pandemic, contributed to the increase in our category 3 emissions in the year 2021.

The progress we make is not always linear and is affected by different factors. If the path to achieving our goals by 2030 is not a straight line, we are pursuing our commitments.

Today I would like to tell you more about what we are doing to achieve this goal.

Towards more sustainable development

In order to reduce Xbox’s carbon footprint and help achieve the commitment to a negative carbon footprint by 2030, we are improving our consoles by working on their energy consumption through system updates and we are reducing the impact on the cloud gaming environment through updates to our devices and software.

On the console side

We’ve designed sustainability updates for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S that don’t impact performance or gameplay.

• We have included a power consumption monitoring system in a small portion of consoles to collect telemetry data anonymously. This data is crucial, it allows us to identify the best ways to propose future solutions to help us save energy.
• At the end of 2021, the Xbox Series S became our first console to integrate recycled resins into its casing as well as into several internal components. At least 28% of the plastic used for this new Xbox Series S comes from recycled resins.

Beyond these changes, the Xbox team will continue to push for more efficient energy use and innovation.

System updates

System updates are an important way to improve the power consumption of consoles already on the market.

• Last year, we improved the power saving mode of our consoles. This consumes about 20 times less power than sleep mode when the console is not in use or updating. Today, system and game updates can be downloaded in power saving mode.
• Power Saver Mode is now enabled by default when gamers first set up their console, saving power across the Xbox ecosystem.

Cloud gaming

We seek to reduce the environmental impact of our Xbox Cloud Gaming offering.

• You can use Xbox Cloud Gaming on the devices you already own, no need to buy new ones.
• Most energy use occurs during gameplay, and cloud gaming can take advantage of Azure’s strong investments in renewable energy. By 2025, Azure data centers will be powered by 100% renewable energy and cloud gaming will be able to take advantage of this transition to clean energy.
• The custom Xboxes on our servers use the same architecture as the other consoles. These cloud-based consoles allow us to reach hundreds of gamers over their lifecycle.

Reduce our waste

To deliver on Microsoft’s commitment to zero waste by 2030, we’re rethinking the materials used to design, manufacture, and package our products.

Zero-waste in 2030

In 2020, Microsoft committed to zero waste by 2030. Here’s what we’re doing to achieve this goal:

• By 2030, Xbox products and accessories and all Microsoft packaging will be 100% recyclable in member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD);
• Xbox Series X|S consoles are 97% recyclable in OECD member countries under the UL 2789 Environmental Claim Validation procedure, which measures the recyclability of electronic products based on the material used;
• We will continue to innovate to ensure that our consoles are always at the forefront of new standards in order to reduce product waste.

Less plastic in Xbox gift cards

• Our Xbox gift cards are no longer made of plastic, but of cardboard, which represents 500 tons less plastic per year.

Use recycled resins in more products

We have also redesigned the materials used in our products.

• Last year, we began incorporating recycled resins into our controllers, while ensuring that they remain durable and perform well.
• The Daystrike Camo and Electric Volt controllers were first affected, and many more followed, including colored controllers and limited edition controllers.
• The Xbox Design Lab has pushed the limits again: 15 new colors use recycled resins and more are coming very soon. These 15 colors use these resins at a minimum of 25%, and this figure should reach 28% by May 2022.

Act together

We cannot achieve these goals alone. We must work with our fans, with developers and with the rest of the industry to reduce the impact of video games on the environment. We’re committed to collaborating with our developers, working with associations, and enabling players to make more informed decisions.

Help our developers

As a major publisher and developer, we want to give the developers of tomorrow the means to create content and stories around these themes, to raise awareness.

• Several free Minecraft lessons dealing with sustainability and climate were released in 2021 in the Climate Futures series, available in Minecraft: Education Edition and the Bedrock Edition Minecraft Marketplace.
• Several electric vehicles are available in Forza Horizon 5, these cars are among the most durable in the world. The team plans to add more electric vehicles throughout the year.

We can do this by joining forces with the rest of the industry

Microsoft is also working with organizations like the United Nations to address climate issues on a broader scale.

• Microsoft is an important partner of the United Nations Playing for the Planet Alliance, made up of 34 video game companies and 7 associates who have committed themselves ambitiously, deliberately, specifically and by providing a deadline to help the planet and its inhabitants.
• Microsoft supports and works with environmental organizations like The Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund and encourages the Xbox community to engage and support their efforts, through Microsoft Rewards on Xbox and other means.

What you can do

We also want you to be able to make better decisions to reduce your impact on the environment. Here are some tips for doing so:

• Energy saving mode: to activate it, go to Settings > Sleep & Startup mode > Sleep mode > Energy saving;
• Sustainability in Minecraft: learn more about the impacts of climate change, discover sustainable infrastructure and imagine solutions in different Minecraft worlds;
• Xbox Wireless Controllers and Xbox Series S: If you care about the materials used to create the products you love, choose Electric Volt and Daystrike Camo controllers or most controllers from our Xbox Design Lab, which contain recycled resins. As for the Xbox Series S, it is our first console to incorporate recycled resins.

This is just the beginning

All this is part of a bigger story, we will do more in the coming year and beyond to respond to this major challenge.

Our ambitions are great, we are aware that there is still a long way to go, we want to commit ourselves, it is an important fight for the planet. The work will never be finished. We are therefore committed to continuing to learn, improve and evolve. You represent a crucial element of this adventure. We will continue to share our progress with you.