Cisco employees from across the globe participated in our 25th Recycle IT Day

As part of our commitment to create a more sustainable future, Cisco hosted its 25th employee recycling event known as Recycle IT Day on May 3, 2022. 

This event gives Cisco employees a chance to bring in old or outdated personal electronics to a nearby participating office at approximately 95 offices globally. It has been three years since our last event, and we were excited to get rusty home office equipment, old cell phones, and even broken gaming systems. So that may leave a lot of you asking “But, why?”

Diverting E-Scrap

The event, which encourages employees to bring in e-waste for recycling, has so far brought in more than 7 million pounds of e-waste during the last quarter century. Impressively, approximately 99.9% of all materials brought in to Cisco for e-waste recycling are diverted from landfills. 

“This is one of the best things we do as a company,” said Jack Allen, who leads Circular Economy, Sustainability, Security, Risk and Resiliency in Cisco’s Supply Chain. 

Recycle IT Day has become a premier event for Cisco and is one of many in a broader company-wide sustainability effort that aims to foster a more Circular Economy. Employees know they can bring in their old computers, cell phones, speakers, gaming systems, smoke alarms and even fax machines to a participating Cisco site and have the materials responsibly recycled. 

Circular Economy

Cisco is committed to moving from a linear economy, where products are used and then thrown away, to a circular economy that makes better use of our limited natural resources. Instead of a “take-make-dispose” model, we see products as valuable assets that can be used again and again. This approach is driven by the concept of a circular economy, which is based on a few simple principles: 

• Design out waste and pollution from the beginning 
• Use the products and materials we already have longer 
• Regenerate natural systems

At the World Economic Forum in 2018, our CEO joined forces with the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE) in signing the Capital Equipment Pledge, committing to 100 percent product return upon request, at no cost to our customers.  

How Recycle IT Day Fits into Cisco’s ESG Goals

Nearly 100 offices around the world participated in this year’s Recycle IT Day. This global commitment among Cisco employees is just one of many ways the company aims to Power an Inclusive Future for All.

For more information on how Cisco is re-thinking packaging, reducing waste in our supply chain, or designing products for easier recycling, visit our ESG Hub.

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