A few days ago, the matter about Microsoft's acquisition of tiktok (byte hopping subsidiary) in the United States caused public concern. Microsoft said on Sunday that it was restarting tiktok's acquisition talks after talks with trump, CNN reported. Prior to that, Microsoft's takeover talks with tiktok had been suspended due to opposition from the White House Administration.

Whether Microsoft will succeed in acquiring tiktok is uncertain, but the company announced a plastic related decision on August 4, which is to achieve zero scrap by 2030.

Microsoft announced plans to stop making garbage by 2030. It also promised to stop using disposable plastic packaging by 2025, including plastic film, major product packaging and it product packaging in data centers.

Build closed loop center to recycle 90% waste

As part of its zero waste goal, Microsoft will establish a "closed loop center" that will allow the company to reuse or recycle 90% of its waste on site without having to send it to a third-party recycler. One of the big projects of Microsoft's internal recycling is the server used in Microsoft's data center. The company also promises zero waste in its internal production processes, although its suppliers may not stick to the same zero waste goal as Microsoft.

In 2019, Microsoft's largest office building delivered 3189 metric tons of waste to landfills. Microsoft is committed to reducing this percentage to zero in the next decade. But compared with the garbage from Microsoft's office, the e-waste generated by electronic products produced by Microsoft and other manufacturers is a bigger problem. According to a report released in July, 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste were discarded worldwide in 2019. This figure is expected to continue to grow. According to reports, Microsoft's new statement will not have a big impact on these piles of e-waste, because the company has not made a commitment to e-waste from its own products.

In 2019, 53.6 million tons of e-waste will be discarded in the world.

"Electronics companies focus on pleasure and efficiency in their design, but rapid changes in consumer demand also mean that their products will soon become obsolete. As a result, today's newest and coolest products will be garbage tomorrow. " Scott Cassel, founder of the nonprofit product stewardship Institute, said in an interview with the verge. Scott Cassel and other advocates are pushing electronics companies to design more durable, longer-lived products and to collect and recycle them at the end of their life.

Balance product repairability, durability and safety

PIRG and other organizations in the United States criticized Microsoft for boycotting the "right to repair" legislation, which requires companies to publish product repair information and let consumers repair their products themselves or through a third party. Advocates of the proposed legislation say it can help keep products in use and keep them away from landfills.

In response, Microsoft said its new focus on reducing waste has not changed its position on the issue of "maintenance right" legislation. However, it designs surface laptops and surface Pro X that are easier to disassemble and repair than previous models.

The surface Pro x is easier to remove and repair than previous models.

"We are committed to improving the repairability of our products, but we will also balance other aspects, such as security, durability, and, of course, privacy and security are the most important." Said Brian janous, general manager of energy and sustainability at Microsoft.

Microsoft said that this commitment is in part the first step in the company's journey, and that more action will be taken as the company learns how to truly affect the life cycle of waste.

Microsoft's zero waste commitment is another action goal following another major environmental goal set by the company at the beginning of the year - achieving negative carbon emissions by 2030. In response to climate change, Microsoft announced in January this year that it would achieve negative carbon emissions by 2030 and eliminate all carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by 2050, which means that the company plans to "absorb" more carbon dioxide than it emits.