This October, our Microsoft Ireland team received the top honor at the 2013 Repak Recycling Awards for their efforts in packaging reduction and implementing more sustainable packaging protocols. The awards are given to organizations that have a remarkable focus and determination to implement best practices in packaging reduction.
This award reflects Microsoft Ireland’s continued efforts to reduce packaging materials by moving away from heavy blister-type plastic packaging to lighter cardboard packs produced from sustainable sources. The team was able to optimize the design of their packs to maximise the reduction and reuse opportunities where they arose. They also drove digital and cloud distribution methods saving on packaging, distribution and logistics costs. With the release of Windows 8 the team introduced a packaging solution that was simple and elegant, eliminating over 100 tons of plastic DVD cases, and a total of 1,300 tons of packaging from other products.
Repak, an industry-funded organization focused on packaging recycling, is made up of over 2000 participating companies and is currently funding the recycling of over 60% of all packaging placed on the Irish market. These efforts have helped bring the recycling habits of consumers to an all-time high.
Congratulations to our team in Ireland for this achievement and for the work they’ve done to integrate sustainability into their business!