Proper disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) is a pressing global concern. Today, the Basel Convention is the world’s only legally binding agreement about waste. It prevents industrialized countries from dumping hazardous and household waste on developing countries. With the international importance of the Basel Convention, e-waste recycling is a priority for Akamai’s global sustainability strategy. At Akamai, we follow the Basel Action Network (BAN) electronics stewardship known as the e-Stewards Standard to support a unified global approach to the Basel Convention.

Through our approach to circularity, we recycle 100% of our e-waste in compliance with all relevant environmental and security standards. At Akamai, we take a responsible approach to end-of-service hardware to ensure that our hardware is recycled in an environmentally sound way, and that any raw materials and potentially hazardous waste are handled with the utmost care.

To meet our goals, Akamai works with certified recyclers globally that adhere to the strict requirements of the e-Stewards Standard. Recyclers adhering to the standard are certified through annual audits that review their alignment to all international and local e-waste laws. The e-Stewards Certification is recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an alternative standard to Responsible Recycling (R2).

E-Stewards Standard Guidelines for Enterprises

• Secure data: All stored data from all devices will be destroyed and will meet applicable destruction standards.
• Responsible downstream management of all toxic materials: Recyclers must track all toxic materials downstream of their facilities, account for them, and ensure proper management.
• Legal and responsible exports: Exports of toxic e-waste to developing countries are not allowed, in accordance with international law (Basel Convention).
• Best recycling practices: Managing toxic e-waste must be done in accordance with best available practices to protect workers and the environment.
• Ethical labor: No child, coerced, or prison labor is permitted.
• Corporate-wide conformity: Requires that all of the facilities and operations in each country belonging to company are covered under the certification.

Akamai partners with e-Stewards–certified recycling partners, such as premier partner NCS Global, to provide critical lifecycle management services (LMS) for our global operations. The LMS process is a comprehensive approach that enables Akamai to manage our hardware assets throughout their entire lifecycle, building a critical component of circularity from acquisition to disposal.

By implementing LMS across Akamai’s operations, we have maximized the value of our hardware assets and increased operational efficiencies in our deployments. One of the critical benefits of LMS is the ability to reuse and redeploy hardware assets that still have a useful life. Instead of disposing of hardware that no longer has a useful life, it is repurposed across our global infrastructure whenever possible. LMS continues to be a valuable tool for Akamai, as it significantly extends the lifespan of our hardware assets.

With our partners like NCS, Akamai remains steadfast in our dedication to achieving our goals of circularity. We will continue exploring innovative ways to positively impact the recycling phases of renew and reuse, and inspire others to join us in this vital mission.