The Next Frontier of Circularity in Data Centers: Hardware

As AI drives unprecedented demand for computing power, how do you keep hardware from becoming the data center industry’s fastest-growing waste stream? What circular strategies are hyperscalers using to recover value from servers and components cycling through faster than ever?

The environmental conversation around data centers has focused on energy and water, but hardware is the next frontier. AI-driven refresh cycles and supply chain constraints are accelerating hardware turnover, while geopolitical pressure around critical minerals is changing the economics of domestic recovery. This session explores how hyperscalers are rethinking second-life applications, component harvesting, remanufacturing, and design for reuse. Hear what it takes to scale circular models in high-throughput environments and how strategies like internal redeployment and reverse logistics can reduce embodied carbon, recover critical materials, and unlock economic value.