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

Simply days forward of Earth Day, we needed to take a second to mirror on a number of the work that we’re doing to guard our planet and share alternatives for our neighborhood to have a good time alongside us.

At Microsoft, we now have set the commitments to function as a carbon damaging, water constructive and nil waste firm by 2030.  Microsoft strives to empower the world to do extra, and driving constructive, transformational change requires considering past conventional boundaries. Gaming gives an unbelievable platform to drive cultural change on a worldwide scale and encourage gamers to discover, experiment, and join with the world and with one another in new methods. Sustainability is a group sport—and we’re excited to see how far we are able to go when everybody performs collectively.

An Replace on our Sustainability Efforts

Final yr, we shared an replace on our sustainability efforts. Here’s what we now have been as much as since:

Decreasing Waste:

The Xbox Wi-fi Controller – Remix Particular Version takes us one step additional in our journey in the direction of our zero-waste dedication, that includes recovered plastics with one-third of it constructed from regrind and reclaimed supplies. By incorporating regrind supplies, post-consumer recycled resins, and together with the Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack – Xbox is exploring methods to make use of much less new plastic and cut back waste.  Take a look at the unboxing video beneath to be taught extra!

Extra issues we’re doing to scale back the waste we create and use as a enterprise, and assist Microsoft obtain our purpose of working as a zero-waste enterprise by 2030:

• We’re more and more discovering new alternatives to include recovered plastics into our controllers.  We began with the Daystrike Camo and the Electrical Volt controller and have been transitioning a number of the controllers already out there to comprise extra Submit-Shopper Recycled resins (PCR), together with our Shock Blue and Pulse Crimson controllers. Go to the Xbox Sustainability Hub to view a group of controllers that comprise 20% or extra PCR content material.
• Xbox Design Lab, our controller customization platform, launched with 15 new colours that comprise Submit-Shopper Recycled plastic. Since then, we now have transitioned many of the coloration choices supplied on the platform to comprise PCR.
• Within the Nordic area (Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland), we partnered with retail associate Elkjøp to launch the City Miner marketing campaign, the place we invited all Nordic households to gather previous electronics of their households and return them to an Elkjøp retailer for recycling. In return, the shoppers obtained Minecoins to be used on the Minecraft Market. The marketing campaign resulted in additional than 11,000 objects returned, representing roughly 17 tons of digital waste.
• Microsoft has eradicated the utilization of polystyrene on new point-of-sale activation (POSA) playing cards (like reward playing cards) transitioning to paperboard throughout our companions. We now have additionally modified the plastic luggage during which we used to bundle our POSA playing cards to paper bands in most of our markets, which we count on will keep away from the equal of over 2 million plastic luggage over the following two fiscal years.  

Carbon Discount:

At Recreation Developer Convention (GDC) this yr, we introduced that Xbox is the primary console to launch devoted vitality and carbon emissions measurement instruments designed for (and with) recreation creators. Utilizing these instruments, studios and recreation builders have discovered alternatives via recreation design to decrease their carbon emissions with out impacting the participant expertise. To be taught extra in regards to the Xbox sustainability toolkit, watch the video beneath!

At Xbox, we maintain ourselves accountable to the emissions created by our merchandise in our gamers’ properties—listed here are some further issues we’re doing to scale back these emissions.

• In January, we introduced that Xbox is the primary Carbon Conscious console.  When your console is plugged in, related to the Web and regional carbon depth knowledge is on the market, Xbox will schedule recreation, app, and OS updates on your console at particular instances in the course of the nightly upkeep window that will end in decrease carbon emissions as a result of the next proportion of electrical energy is coming from lower-carbon sources on the electrical grid.
• On the identical time, we started experimenting with mechanically updating consoles to the Shutdown (vitality saving) energy mode and are bringing these updates to extra consoles all year long.
• We additionally supplied the “Energetic Hours” choice for people who need to use the extra vitality intensive Sleep energy choice. This permits gamers to pick out the hours that they need to use Sleep mode options like distant wake. The console will absolutely shutdown outdoors of these hours (utilizing as much as 20x much less energy when turned off vs. Sleep). Gamers can choose for his or her console to mechanically schedule their energetic hours, to configure a guide schedule, or to maintain their console at all times energetic.

Collective Motion: 

We’re at all times searching for alternatives to associate with gamers, trade companions and exterior organizations to make gaming a greater trade for the surroundings. To be taught extra about these partnerships, watch the video beneath:

• Minecraft Training and BBC Earth teamed as much as create an thrilling Frozen Planet II expertise, with 5 Minecraft worlds impressed by the long-lasting sequence. Minecraft gamers can play as eight totally different animals, experiencing Earth’s chilly habitats and studying in regards to the impacts of local weather change. College students in additional than 110 nations have performed the Frozen Planet II Minecraft worlds, and the maps have been downloaded by tens of millions of gamers and can be found in 29 languages, accompanied by instructional assets for lecturers and households.
• Schools Reinventing Cities has been developed by Minecraft Education and C40 Cities to give students around the world the opportunity to design climate solutions for their city and present their ideas to city leaders. In city-wide challenges, students learn about climate action in cities. They then build their climate solutions in Minecraft Education, a game-based learning platform used by millions of teachers and students that inspires creative, inclusive learning through play.  
• Last year, Xbox had the opportunity to educate a wide range of audiences through learning events like the United Nation’s 50th anniversary congress on sustainability, and directly to valued partners in bespoke workshop events with external industry players.
• In May of 2022, for the first-ever time, we invited the public to experience a selection of the talks from Xfest 2022, one of which is ‘A Deeper Look at Gaming Sustainability and How Everyone Can Play Their Part’. This explores how game publishers can make an impact by integrating environmental themes in games, reducing emissions, and supporting the global environmental agenda in collaboration with Xbox.  
• Xbox has continued our work as a founding member of the Playing for the Planet alliance. Playing for the Planet recently released the 2022 Annual Impact Report which reveals strong progress on decarbonization efforts across the industry.

Engage  

Learn About Ocean Conservation on Twitch this Earth Day with Xbox Plays and the Seattle Aquarium

Please join Team Xbox on our Twitch livestream channel on April 22nd at 8:00am Pacific Time as the team shares a behind the scenes tour of the Seattle Aquarium, a conservation organization working to regenerate the health of our one ocean. You’ll meet special guests like Barney the harbor seal, get an inside look at the Aquarium’s work to save endangered species, and see a demonstration of a remotely operated vehicle steered via Xbox controller that is being used to research the depths of Puget Sound. Marine conservationists and experts will join us live to answer your questions about the species you’ll find in the Sound and beyond, as well as the steps you can take to help protect our world’s one ocean.

New Xbox Gear products features recycled content as well, check out the latest collection featuring colors and topographical lines pulled straight from the Xbox Wireless Controller — Remix Special Edition

Check out the latest Xbox Gear featuring colors and topographical lines pulled straight from the Xbox Wireless Controller – Remix Special Edition. This collection features a selection of premium, ECOLIFE cotton garments. The garments are made of 50% recycled yarn and 50% BCI (Better Cotton Initiative– the world’s leading sustainability initiative for cotton). The raw materials are cut & sewn in Los Angeles, garment dyed to match the special edition Xbox controllers, printed with eco-friendly inks and packaged with biodegradable poly bags. These ECOLIFE cotton garments are available as a t-shirt, pullover hoodie and sweat shorts.

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

Microsoft Rewards members in the United States can earn and donate points to support select environmental organizations with Xbox. The below organizations will be featured on console throughout April:

• The Nature Conservancy – The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Their mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.
  • Additionally, for every two dollars that Microsoft Rewards donates in April, The Nature Conservancy will plant a tree as part of their Plant A Billion Trees program. Learn more about this program here and plant your tree today!
• Water.org – Every living thing requires water to survive and thrive. Yet 771 million people around the world don’t have access to safe water. Water.org is working to change this by empowering people living in poverty with lasting safe water solutions for their homes. Water.org is dedicated to increasing access to this critical resource that matters to our planet and everyone that lives on it.
• World Wildlife Fund ​– As the world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in nearly 100 countries. At every level, they collaborate with people around the world to develop and deliver innovative solutions that protect communities, wildlife, and the places in which they live. Their mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.  

Xbox players can earn Microsoft Rewards points in various ways, such as playing or purchasing games after downloading the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox. Earn points and redeem them for real rewards. Join us today and donate through Xbox. 

To learn more about our continued Sustainability Efforts at Xbox, visit the Xbox Sustainability Hub.

To explore more ways Microsoft is celebrating Earth Day, visit aka.ms/EarthDay.

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