How AWS Recycles 99% of its Data Centre Hardware
Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud-computing arm of Amazon, is transforming how it handles decommissioned data centre hardware.
By leveraging its innovative re:Cycle Reverse Logistics hubs, AWS has achieved an extraordinary milestone: diverting more than 99% of retired equipment from landfills.
The circular economy approach
AWS’s strategy for hardware management is rooted in the principles of a circular economy.
“Embracing circularity represents a paradigm shift in resource management. We’re challenging the traditional ‘take-make-waste’ model, taking a holistic approach to extend the lifecycle of our resources,” explains Manju Murugesan, AWS’s Circular Economy Strategy Lead.
The company’s efforts are built around three pillars:
Design Better: AWS ensures that its hardware is designed for durability and reparability. This includes using recycled and bio-based plastics in components like server rack parts and exploring new ways to extend equipment life. Since 2023, the company has transitioned to using at least 30% recycled or bio-based plastic content in critical parts.
Operate Longer: Maximising the operational lifespan of hardware is central to AWS’s strategy. The average expected server lifetime in AWS data centres has been extended from five to six years. Additionally, a targeted program extends the use of Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) hard drives by consolidating functional drives. This initiative alone has avoided the purchase of more than 295,000 new hard drives, saving resources and reducing waste.
Recover More: When hardware reaches the end of its operational life, AWS employs its re:Cycle Reverse Logistics hubs to recover, repair, and reuse components. In 2024, 23.5 million components were either recycled or sold on the secondary market. These facilities play a critical role in keeping valuable materials out of landfills and extending the usability of decommissioned parts.
A formula for recovery
AWS’s reverse logistics hubs follow a meticulous process to ensure maximum recovery of hardware components. Each stage prioritises security and functionality:
Firstly, before hardware is processed, all data-storing media are "sanitised" (securely wiped) to ensure customer privacy.
Then, the technicians disassemble the server racks, evaluate components for reuse potential and repair them if needs be.
After that, the old tech will undergo some rigorous testing to make sure it can meet the same standards as new equipment. These tests simulate real-world data centre stresses to ensure reliability.
“The components we repair are small, but they have the potential to make a big impact for our company, our customers, and our planet,” says Lisa Anderson, AWS Operations Senior Manager for Reverse Logistics in North America.
Using the past to inform the future
All in all, this is a great example of circularity in motion. From design to end-of-life, this recycling project is helping Amazon to deliver a resource-efficient model that benefits both business and the environment.
The success of the re:Cycle hubs shows the potential for large-scale corporations to rethink waste management, and the data gleaned from the recycling process is helping AWS to design future models better.
“Our journey towards true circularity requires ongoing innovation and collaboration, and we’re committed to this critical work for the benefit of our business, customers, and the planet,” says Manju.
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