Amazon has achieved a major milestone in its data center hardware circularity program, successfully diverting over 99% of decommissioned racks from Amazon Web Services (AWS) facilities away from landfills in 2024.

“We’re committed to investing and innovating in sustainability to create a more sustainable future,” said Manju Murugesan, AWS’s Circular Economy Strategy Lead. “Embracing circularity represents a paradigm shift in resource management, and at AWS, we’re leveraging multiple strategies to drive this transformation. We’re challenging the traditional ‘take-make-waste’ model, taking a holistic approach to extend the lifecycle of our resources.”

The circularity program is part of Amazon’s broader commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040. It also addresses the sustainability challenges posed by the increasing demand for data centers, driven by the growth of AI and cloud computing services.

Central to the program is Amazon’s re:Cycle Reverse Logistics hub, launched last year to extend the life of data center hardware. The hub facilitates the demanufacturing of server racks, along with the repair and testing of components for reuse. Amazon expanded the program to Europe earlier this year with a facility in Dublin.

Through these initiatives, AWS has already sourced 13% of its spare parts from its own reused inventory and expects this figure to grow as the circular economy program develops. Since 2023, AWS has avoided purchasing 295,000 new hard drives by extending server lifetimes and has recycled or sold 23.5 million data center components through secondary markets.

Additional efforts under the program include designing hardware to minimize excess materials, extending equipment lifespan, enabling repairability, and collaborating with suppliers to incorporate recycled and sustainable materials.

By adopting circularity practices, Amazon not only reduces waste but also optimizes resource use, furthering its sustainability goals and leading the way in responsible data center operations.