In the packaging guide Google said that it recognised that the challenges in building a more sustainable future “are numerous and difficult” and invoked the benefits of openness and collaboration.
It noted that collective progress will be slower if individual businesses end up solving lots of similar problems separately.
“That’s why we believe innovation in sustainability should be a collaborative endeavor, not a competitive one,” the tech giant stated.
“In that spirit, we’re sharing more than simply what we’ve achieved, but also how we achieved it.
“We’ve participated in many industry collaborations, but we’re going further and openly publishing what we’ve learned for others to use, starting with our product packaging work.
The 69pp guide contains a wealth of information on the development and testing Google’s team of experts has worked on with its suppliers to find fibre-based replacements for plastic components used in packaging on products such as its Pixel smartphones.
This includes protective product wraps, trays, hanging tab solutions and structural box design as well as inks and coatings.
It also names a number of its key suppliers of materials and packaging, along with a plastic free materials library.
In October 2020 Google committed to making all of its consumer electronics packaging plastic-free by 2025.
However, separately Google’s 2024 Environmental Report has laid bare a big jump in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The figure of 14.3m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent was 13% up year-on-year, and a whopping 48% increase on the base year of 2019.
Google said this was “primarily due to increases in data center energy consumption and supply chain emissions”.
Google has implemented an array of initiatives around Carbon-Free Energy (CFE), with a target of running 24/7 CFE “on every grid where we operate” by 2030.
Its total electricity load across all data centers increased by roughly 3.5 TWh, or 17% in 2023, but the group maintained a global average of approximately 64% CFE.
Google also noted that AI could potentially have a positive transformational effect on climate progress, and a “bold and responsible approach” would help make the technology “helpful for everyone”.
“As highlighted in our AI Opportunity Agenda, we’re currently at an inflection point where choices made today will ensure that AI is used to benefit as many people as possible.
“While scaling these AI applications and finding new ways to use AI to accelerate climate action is crucial, we’re also working to responsibly manage the environmental impact associated with it.”
