Xbox Celebrates Earth Day with a Sustainability Update, Special Edition Products, and Events

Just a few days before Earth Day, I wanted to share an opportunity for our community to celebrate with us, by reflecting on some of the work we are doing to protect our planet.

Microsoft is committed to operating as a carbon negative, water positive and zero waste company by 2030. Games provide a great platform for driving cultural change on a global scale, Encouragement Players explore the world, experiment, connect and connect with each other in new ways. Sustainability is a team sport. I’m looking forward to seeing how far we can go by playing together.

The latest information on our commitment to sustainability

Last year, we shared an update on our sustainability efforts. Here’s what we’ve been up to since then:

Waste reduction:

Xbox Wireless Controller – Remix Special Edition We take our commitment to zero waste a step further by producing one-third of our recycled plastic from reground and recycled materials. By incorporating recycled materials, post-consumer recycled resin, and Xbox rechargeable battery packs, Xbox is finding ways to use less virgin plastic and reduce waste. For more information, check out the unboxing video below.

We are doing more to reduce the waste we create and use as a business, and to help Microsoft reach its goal of operating as a zero-waste business by 2030.

• We are increasingly finding new opportunities to incorporate reclaimed plastics into our controllers. We started with our Daystrike Camo and Electric Volt controllers and have transitioned some of the controllers already on the market to include more Consumer Recycled Resin (PCR), including our Shock Blue and Pulse Red controllers. .visit Xbox Sustainability Hub View a collection of controllers with 20% or more PCR content.
• The Xbox Design Lab, our controller customization platform, has launched in 15 new colors, including post-consumer recycled plastic. Since then, we have migrated most of the color options offered on the platform to include PCR.
• In the Nordic region (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland), in partnership with retail partner Elkjøp, urban miner campaignasked all Nordic households to collect old electronics from home and return them to Elkjøp stores for recycling. In return, consumers received Minecoins for use on the Minecraft Marketplace. The campaign resulted in the return of over 11,000 of his items, equivalent to approximately 17 tons of e-waste.
• Microsoft has phased out the use of polystyrene in new point of sale (POSA) cards (such as gift cards) and transitioned to paperboard across our partners. Also, in most markets, he replaced the plastic bags he used to bundle his POSA cards with paper bands. We estimate that this will save the equivalent of more than 2 million plastic bags over the next two years.

Carbon reduction:

At this year’s Game Developer Conference (GDC), Xbox is the first console to release dedicated energy and carbon footprint measurement tools designed for (and with) game creators. Using these tools, studios and game developers have found opportunities to reduce their carbon footprint through game design without impacting the player experience. Watch the video below to learn more about the Xbox Sustainability Toolkit.

Xbox is responsible for the emissions generated by our products in players’ homes. Here are some other things we are doing to reduce these emissions:

• In January, we announced that Xbox would be the first Carbon Aware console. When the console is plugged in, connected to the internet, and has local carbon footprint data available, Xbox will schedule console game, app, and OS updates at specific times during the nightly maintenance window. To do. A proportion of the electricity is supplied from low-carbon sources in the grid.
• At the same time, we began experimenting with automatically updating consoles to a shutdown (energy saving) power mode, and are rolling out these updates to more consoles throughout the year.
• We also have an ‘active hours’ option for those who prefer a more energy intensive sleep power option. This allows the player to choose when to use sleep mode features such as remote wake. The console shuts down completely outside of these times (powering off uses up to 20 times less power than sleep). Players can choose to automatically schedule when the console is active, manually configure the schedule, or keep the console always active.

collective action:

We are always looking for opportunities to partner with players, industry partners and external organizations to make gaming a better industry for the environment. To learn more about these partnerships, watch the video below.

• Minecraft Education and BBC Earth team up for exciting Frozen Planet II experience, Five Minecraft worlds inspired by the iconic series. Minecraft players can Play as 8 different animalsexperience the cold habitat of the earth, Impact of climate changeStudents in over 110 countries are playing the world of Frozen Planet II Minecraft and the maps have been downloaded by millions of players and 29 languagescomes with educational resources for teachers and families.
• A school that reinvents the city Developed by Minecraft Education and C40 Cities, is an opportunity for students around the world to design urban climate solutions and present their ideas to city leaders. In city-wide assignments, students learn about climate action in cities. Then build climate solutions with Minecraft Education, a game-based learning platform used by millions of teachers and students, to encourage creative and inclusive learning through play.
• Last year, Xbox took the opportunity to educate a broad audience through learning events such as the United Nations 50th Anniversary Conference on Sustainability. I also had the opportunity to teach valuable partners directly in a bespoke workshop event with external industry insiders.
• In May 2022, for the first time, we made the selected talks from Xfest 2022 available to the public.A closer look at gaming sustainability and how everyone can play their part‘. This explores how game publishers can make an impact by integrating environmental themes into their games, reducing emissions, and working with Xbox to support the global environmental agenda. Thing.
• Xbox remains active as a founding member of the Playing for the Planet Alliance. Playing for the Planet recently 2022 Annual Impact ReportThis indicates significant progress in decarbonization efforts across the industry.

engaged

Learn about marine conservation on Twitch this Earth Day on Xbox Plays and the Seattle Aquarium

Join our Team Xbox Twitch Livestream Channel On April 22nd at 8am PST, the team shared a behind-the-scenes tour of the Seattle Aquarium. Meet special guests such as Barney the harbor seal, see the aquarium’s efforts to save endangered species, and remotely piloted via an Xbox controller used to explore the depths of Puget Sound You can watch a demonstration of the vehicle. Marine conservationists and experts join us live to answer questions about the species found in and around the Gulf and explain the measures you can take to protect her one ocean of the world.

new xbox gear Products also contain recycled content. Check out our latest collection featuring lines of color and terrain drawn directly from the Xbox Wireless Controller — Remix Special Edition

Check out the latest Xbox Gear Featuring lines of color and terrain drawn directly from the Xbox Wireless Controller – Remix Special Edition. This collection features a selection of his finest ECOLIFE cotton garments. The garment is made with 50% recycled yarn and 50% BCI (Better Cotton Initiative– the world’s leading cotton sustainability initiative). Raw materials are cut and sewn in Los Angeles, garment dyed to fit the special edition Xbox controller, printed with eco-friendly inks and packed in biodegradable poly bags. ECOLIFE cotton garments are available as t-shirts, pullover hoodies and sweat shorts.

Games and Impact with Microsoft Rewards: World Wildlife Fund, Water.org, The Nature Conservancy

US Microsoft Rewards members can earn points and donate to use their Xbox to support specific environmental causes. The following organizations will appear in the console throughout April.

• The Nature Conservancy – The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental non-profit organization working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Their mission is to protect the land and water on which all life depends.
  • Additionally, for every $2 Microsoft Rewards donates in April, The Nature Conservancy will plant a tree as part of it. Plant A Billion Trees program. learn more Learn more about this program here and plant your tree today!
• Water.org – All living things need water to survive and thrive. But worldwide he has 771 million people without access to safe water. Water.org is working to change this by providing people living in poverty with durable, safe water solutions for their homes. Water.org is dedicated to increasing access to this vital resource that is important to the planet and everyone on it.
• World Wildlife Fund – As the world’s leading conservation organization, WWF is active in nearly 100 countries. At all levels, we work with people around the world to develop and deliver innovative solutions that protect communities, wildlife and where they live. Their mission is to protect nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.

Xbox players can earn Microsoft Rewards points in a variety of ways, including playing games and making purchases after downloading the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox. Earn points and redeem them for real rewards. join us today and Donate through Xbox.

For more information on our ongoing sustainability efforts at Xbox, please visit: Xbox Sustainability Hub.

For more ways Microsoft is celebrating Earth Day, please visit: aka.ms/EarthDay.