At a glance
- Challenge: How to innovate in both technology and sustainability
- Recycling and extending product life key to reducing materials and energy used
- Measurable results include Seagate products with 27% recycled content
Most people think about recycling in terms of paper, plastic or glass. But the devices we rely on every day — from laptops to external storage — also belong on that list.
As demand for data continues to grow, so does the need to build and maintain the infrastructure that supports it. That growth brings a challenge: how to expand technology without increasing its environmental impact. This shift is not limited to individual products. It reflects a broader effort to improve sustainability across the entire data ecosystem.
One of the most important shifts happening today is the move toward recycled materials and circular design. Together, these approaches reduce the need for new resources, lower manufacturing impact and keep materials in use longer.
Sustainability starts before a product is used
For most electronics, environmental impact does not begin when a device is turned on. It begins much earlier — with the materials used to build it and the processes required to manufacture it.
Sustainability efforts increasingly focus on the full lifecycle of a product, from raw material extraction to end-of-life recovery. This includes the embodied carbon or total greenhouse gas emissions associated with the product before it reaches consumers.
When companies cut the amount of new material required to build products, they curb the environmental impact at its source. Mining, refining and processing raw materials all require energy and resources and contribute to the embodied carbon of a product. Lowering that demand has a direct effect on emissions and environmental footprint.
Recycled materials lessen the need for new resource extraction
This lifecycle view helps explain why recycled materials matter. Today, they already play a meaningful role in technology products. On average, Seagate products contain approximately 27% recycled content by weight.
More recycled content reduces the need for new resource extraction. Over time, this can significantly lower the environmental footprint of manufacturing across the industry.
Circular systems keep materials in use longer
Recycling materials is only one part of a broader shift toward circular economy.
In a traditional model, products are made, used and then discarded. Circular systems aim to extend that lifecycle by keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible, cutting waste while also helping make supply chains more resilient over time. This includes:
- Repairing devices instead of replacing them
- Refurbishing products for continued use
- Recovering components and materials for reuse
These approaches show a measurable impact. Seagate has returned more than 1.5 million hard drives and SSDs to service through repair, refurbishment and reuse. This has helped avoid approximately 700 metric tons of e-waste.
In many cases, reuse is more effective than recycling alone. Refurbishing and reusing drives can reduce carbon emissions by up to 275 times more than recycling components.
Extending the life of a product avoids the need to manufacture a new one, reducing both material use and the embodied carbon associated with production.
Sustainable packaging extends impact beyond the product
Packaging is another part of the picture. Using responsibly sourced materials and reducing unnecessary packaging can help limit waste and lower the demand for new materials.
Seagate now ships all core hard drive products using certified sustainably sourced packaging. The weight of this packaging totals around 2 million kilograms a year.
Efforts also include reducing single-use plastics and improving recyclability.
While packaging may seem like a smaller part of the overall system, it contributes to the total environmental footprint across the product lifecycle.
Consumer awareness is helping drive change
Sustainability also influences how people choose products.
Consumers are beginning to look for signals such as recycled material content and sustainable packaging. In response, some retailers and partners are highlighting these attributes more clearly.
When consumers value sustainability, it encourages companies to invest further in these approaches.
A more sustainable path for technology
The growth of data is not slowing down. But the way technology is built and managed is changing.
Recycled materials and circular systems are helping reduce environmental impact across the lifecycle of modern products.
As both companies and consumers continue to prioritize sustainability, these approaches will continue to play a larger role in how technology evolves.
To learn more about Seagate’s sustainability efforts, visit https://www.seagate.com/sustainability/.
