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.
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Building with Mushrooms to Reduce Drywall Waste — or Cooking Up a New Future for Data Center Construction
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.
April 10, 2023
Young Climate Prize: Celebrating the Next Generation of Change
As the two generations that will be most impacted by the effects of climate change, Gen Z and Generation Alpha are bringing fresh passion and creativity to the climate fight.
April 4, 2023
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, 2023Focus areas
At Meta, we’re building a better reality at every level of our impact.
On our planet
Taking daily action toward net zero
With our resources
Promoting resiliency and restoring loss
Across our footprint
Driving efficient management of resources
Within our facilities
Meeting the highest standards for sustainable buildings
Throughout our business
Working together for the highest outcome
2024 Sustainability Report
Learn more about our progress as we work to achieve net zero emissions across our value chain and become water positive in 2030.
