Google announced that it has partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to explore initiatives that would improve the company's waste of material, energy, food and water to create a more circular economy.

The nonprofit, which helps companies transition into a more circular economy through smart design, will help Google become a more eco-friendly and resourceful corporation. Google is committing to keeping materials like plastic and silicon out of the landfill as well as becoming mindful of waste in other areas.

"Our goal is to embed circular economic principles into the fabric of Google's infrastructure, operations, and culture," said Google's sustainability lead Kate Brandt. "What that means is that we'll be focusing on opportunities wherever possible to eradicate waste through smart design-at our data centers, in our kitchens, on our campuses, in all we do around the world."

The Internet giant and the UK-based nonprofit will work on projects to take "waste reduction and sustainability programs to the next level" — although the details of what these projects entail are yet to be revealed.

Google's VP of worldwide operations, Jim Miller, announced the partnership in a blog post stating that the company will work to "explore and share a series of initiatives to embed circular economic principles into the fabric of Google's infrastructure, operations, and culture."

Miller also highlighted the ways the company has already begun to "cut the crap" — such as turning waste into energy at its main campus, recycling demolition waste, using software systems in its kitchens to track food waste, and using a recycled water system at its Atlanta data center.

Google joins other Ellen MacArthur Foundation project partners Cisco, Philips, Renault, Kingfisher and Unilever in circular economy efforts.

Via: Fast Company

Photo: Alan Levine | Flickr