Each year, 660 million tons of construction waste goes to landfills or incinerators in the U.S. alone. Indeed, with each new data center, Meta sends tons of drywall debris to the trash since most local facilities do not have systems in place to recycle or recover drywall.

We wanted to do better so in 2022 we began working with Mycocycle, an innovative technology company in the zero-waste market, to pilot a new project at our data center in Gallatin, TN. The idea: train mushrooms to eat trash and turn drywall debris into a fully circular product that reduces waste and returns drywall to our data center buildings as newly manufactured building products. 

Today our team is working closely with large building manufacturers to further test the approach and illustrate how Meta’s potential buying power can substantially influence the production of new sustainable building materials.  

By prioritizing material circularity and zero waste this program aligns with Meta’s goal to reach net zero emissions across our value chain in 2030.

News

Get the latest news about our sustainability work, download reports and case studies and explore our energy dashboards.

Biodiversity triple pundit

Birds and Bees: Bringing Biodiversity Into the Workplace

As companies look to act on climate change, many overlook a crucial and impactful area of focus: preserving biodiversity. Protecting and restoring habitats is vital for restricting emissions and driving climate adaptation.

March 30, 2023

2023 Sustainability Report

We envision a just and equitable transition to a zero-carbon economy and are working to scale inclusive solutions that help create a healthier planet for all.

Edward Palmieri, head of global sustainability at Meta, and Nethra Rajendran, Net Zero Analyst at GreenBiz Group, discuss Meta’s commitment to become water positive by 2030.

“Climate change is exacerbated by water stress around the globe. When it comes to this precious resource, we know that we have a responsibility as members of the global community — and in the local communities where we operate — to use less, and to be water positive,” says Palmieri, who notes that currently, Meta data centers are 80% more water efficient than industry average.

Adds Palmieri, “Our Meta offices are 38% more water efficient than the LEED baseline, which is what we use to evaluate our criteria. So we know that we are starting from a really strong efficiency space. And then we want to make sure that beyond that, we’re putting back the water we consume through our operations.”

News

Get the latest news about our sustainability work, download reports and case studies and explore our energy dashboards.

Image of woman standing in front of small business with a sign reading 'welcome we are open'
News triple pundit

How the Collective Power of SMEs Can Combat Climate Change

The collective power of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) — defined as those employing less than 500 employees — is far greater than many may expect. Together SMEs make up 90 percent of businesses worldwide and affect the livelihoods of more than 2 billion people.

February 27, 2023
wind energy farm - renewable energy
Energy triple pundit

How Meta Sources 100 Percent Renewable Energy Around the World

Back in 2011, Facebook set an ambitious target to meet 100 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources. It took 10 years to build the infrastructure and programs, but in 2020, the company now known as Meta crossed the finish line.

February 7, 2023
offshore wind farm
Climate triple pundit

Net Zero Goals: Moving from Why to How to Now

In 2020, Meta achieved net zero greenhouse gas emissions for our global operations and today, we are supported by 100 percent renewable energy. These are good first steps, but we have so, so much work still to do to become a fully sustainable company.

February 2, 2023

2023 Sustainability Report

We envision a just and equitable transition to a zero-carbon economy and are working to scale inclusive solutions that help create a healthier planet for all.

Did you know that 6 of the top 20 polluters of marine litter are in Southeast Asia?

To address this, the UN Environment Programme and creative technology studio MeshMinds teamed up to create AR filters that bring to life the impact of plastic pollution.

To date, it has reached more than 21 million people across Southeast Asia on Instagram, helping to inspire the next generation to live more sustainably.

News

Get the latest news about our sustainability work, download reports and case studies and explore our energy dashboards.

offshore wind farm
Climate triple pundit

Net Zero Goals: Moving from Why to How to Now

In 2020, Meta achieved net zero greenhouse gas emissions for our global operations and today, we are supported by 100 percent renewable energy. These are good first steps, but we have so, so much work still to do to become a fully sustainable company.

February 2, 2023
illustrations of various climate related scenes like solar panels, a forest, and people commuting via bicycle and public transit
Climate Newsroom

Sharing Our Progress on Combating Climate Change

As leaders and experts convene in Egypt for COP27, we’re outlining progress on our climate commitments and announcing expanded tools to help our communities take action against climate change.

November 6, 2022

2023 Sustainability Report

We envision a just and equitable transition to a zero-carbon economy and are working to scale inclusive solutions that help create a healthier planet for all.

The mysterious and graceful leopard cat is one of only two wild cat species native to Taiwan. With only 500 left in the wild, they are dangerously close to extinction.

To raise awareness of their plight, Meta Spark AR creator Yang Chih created a Leopard Cat augmented reality game that reached millions on Instagram and encouraged Taiwanese drivers to drive safely to save the leopard cats.

News

Get the latest news about our sustainability work, download reports and case studies and explore our energy dashboards.

wind energy farm - renewable energy
Energy triple pundit

How Meta Sources 100 Percent Renewable Energy Around the World

Back in 2011, Facebook set an ambitious target to meet 100 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources. It took 10 years to build the infrastructure and programs, but in 2020, the company now known as Meta crossed the finish line.

February 7, 2023
view of example AR filter showing fishing net reaching to collect pollution items like plastic bottles underwater
Video 1 Min

Using AR Filters to Fight Plastic Pollution

Did you know that 6 of the top 20 polluters of marine litter are in Southeast Asia? To address this, the UN Environment Programme and creative technology studio MeshMinds teamed up to create AR filters that bring to life the impact of plastic pollution. To date, it has reached more than 21 million people across

December 2, 2022
offshore wind farm
Climate triple pundit

Net Zero Goals: Moving from Why to How to Now

In 2020, Meta achieved net zero greenhouse gas emissions for our global operations and today, we are supported by 100 percent renewable energy. These are good first steps, but we have so, so much work still to do to become a fully sustainable company.

February 2, 2023

2023 Sustainability Report

We envision a just and equitable transition to a zero-carbon economy and are working to scale inclusive solutions that help create a healthier planet for all.

Mikaela L. is a climate change activist based in Scotland. Through Instagram, she’s built a community of over 130,000 people working  to make the climate movement more Inclusive. For more news and information on climate change, visit the Climate Science Center on Facebook.

News

Get the latest news about our sustainability work, download reports and case studies and explore our energy dashboards.

collage of images from Reels posts
News

Instagram Creators Amplify Meta’s Sustainability Efforts with Reels

In 2022, Meta partnered with creators on Instagram to raise awareness about Meta’s commitment to sustainability. Using Instagram reels and highlighting key insights from the 2021 Sustainability Report, each creator helped draw the connection between Meta and sustainability with entertaining, impactful, and unexpected content.  We partnered with photographer Gina Danza, climate activist and educator Kristy

August 15, 2022
Edward Palmieri and Dylan Siegler in Video Interview
Video 10 Mins

Meta’s 2030 Sustainability Commitments and Journey Towards a Sustainable Metaverse

Edward Palmieri, Director, Global Sustainability at Meta and Dylan Siegler, Vice President, GreenBiz Group discuss Sustainability at Meta. Edward and Dylan discuss Meta’s ambitious sustainability commitments including reaching net zero emissions across the value chain and becoming water positive in 2030. Edward also shares more on the journey towards building a sustainable metaverse. “We’re beginning

April 11, 2022
Podcast 29 Mins

Episode 06: Both People and Planet

What does a sustainable future look like? In this episode, we’re breaking down why a truly sustainable future needs to be not only climate secure, but equitable and just for all. What does the industrialized world owe to developing nations for the climate devastation their economies have caused? On an individual scale, what do we

December 13, 2021

2023 Sustainability Report

We envision a just and equitable transition to a zero-carbon economy and are working to scale inclusive solutions that help create a healthier planet for all.

Edward Palmieri, Director, Global Sustainability at Meta and Dylan Siegler, Vice President, GreenBiz Group discuss Sustainability at Meta.

Edward and Dylan discuss Meta’s ambitious sustainability commitments including reaching net zero emissions across the value chain and becoming water positive in 2030. Edward also shares more on the journey towards building a sustainable metaverse.

“We’re beginning this journey to define what is the metaverse and what will it take to do it sustainably. We know that we’re just one partner in the global effort to build the next generation.”

News

Get the latest news about our sustainability work, download reports and case studies and explore our energy dashboards.

illustrations of various climate related scenes like solar panels, a forest, and people commuting via bicycle and public transit
Climate Newsroom

Sharing Our Progress on Combating Climate Change

As leaders and experts convene in Egypt for COP27, we’re outlining progress on our climate commitments and announcing expanded tools to help our communities take action against climate change.

November 6, 2022
Podcast 29 Mins

Episode 06: Both People and Planet

What does a sustainable future look like? In this episode, we’re breaking down why a truly sustainable future needs to be not only climate secure, but equitable and just for all. What does the industrialized world owe to developing nations for the climate devastation their economies have caused? On an individual scale, what do we

December 13, 2021

2023 Sustainability Report

We envision a just and equitable transition to a zero-carbon economy and are working to scale inclusive solutions that help create a healthier planet for all.

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