At first glance, healthy oceans and technology solutions may not seem closely connected, but oceans are critical to our survival. With 71% of the earth covered by water, oceans help regulate our climate, provide food, and generate the most oxygen in our atmosphere. Our global economy is dependent on the seas. Everyone needs oceans for survival, regardless of business or sector.

Dell Technologies has been more conscious of the issue of plastics in our world's seas and rivers over the past decade. The ocean is anticipated to contain more plastic than fish (by weight) by 2050, with an estimated 86 million metric tonnes of plastic in our seas.

Water bottles, food containers, and other discarded plastics pollute oceans and break into microplastics, disrupting underwater ecosystems. As a global company, they are responsible for caring for the oceans to nurture the only planet.

Their work at Dell is to discover and integrate renewable, recyclable, and sustainable materials into the packaging. They spotted an opportunity in recycled ocean-bound plastics around eight years ago. In 2017, Dell Technologies boldly committed to doing what it could to keep plastic waste out of the ocean and in the circular economy. 

They quickly realized the supply chain of recycled ocean-bound plastics still needed to be established. Dell collaborated with the NGO Lonely Whale to form NextWave Plastics, a partnership of global firms striving to build a worldwide network of ocean-bound plastic supply chains to address the rising issue of plastic waste in the seas and rivers. Through this cross-industry, collaborative, and open-source endeavor, they helped build the first commercial-scale environmentally friendly supply chain for recycled ocean-bound plastics.

Impact Created

The team had been able to divert the equivalent of 2.27 billion water bottles from entering the ocean since 2017 through the NextWave partnership. They have incorporated recycled ocean-bound plastics into Dell's packaging and products to support the 2030 goal of 100% packaging and 50% products from recycled or renewable materials.

More than doubled the use of recycled ocean-bound plastics in FY23 by adding it to products like EcoLoop carrying cases and Latitude, Precision and OptiPlex product components. It kept the amount of 39.2 million plastic bottles out of the ocean and into the circular economy.

Being one of the global leaders in the technology sphere, Dell Technologies has been accelerating sustainability through energy-efficient data centers and servers, contributing to the circular economy. The company has also made promising claims about making its product content from recycled or renewable materials.

Well-being Becomes a Priority 

As plastics degrade in water, they have to stop the material before it reaches the ocean. Creating and investing in an equitable and environmentally responsible supply chain is critical to the achievement of the NextWave cooperation. 

The informal supply chain that collects ocean-bound plastics is among the 20 million waste pickers that manage most global waste collection and recycling. When they founded the NextWave consortium, they prioritized the development of socially acceptable ocean-bound plastic supply chains that aid in the protection of those who work as informal garbage collectors.

NextWave's collaborative aim is to avoid at least 25,000 tonnes of plastic - the equivalent of 2.7 billion single-use plastic water bottles - from entering our seas by 2025, and they are now more than 80% of the way there. 

Since 2017 when they began this journey, such ocean-bound plastics have been utilized in over 340 products such as technology, office furniture, carpet tiles, bike parts, and packaging to mention but a few. Thus, they have already come half way up to this expectation. The best option they have is to minimize using plastics, sharing this story and learning how other corporations can also participate.

With climate change and environmental degradation posing significant threats, it has become more critical than ever to take a proactive approach to reduce waste and protect the planet. Organizations that recognise this fact have begun to emphasize sustainability from planning to action. 

Furthermore, the Government of India's position on green growth for economic growth with an emphasis on sustainable development is a turning point for Indian organizations to reconsider their sustainability activities, investments, and ambitions.

Like digital transformation, sustainability has become a priority for organizations across sectors due to increased consumer, stakeholder, and government demands. 86% of company executives consider sustainability a vital investment in defending their companies against threats.

From renewable energy to sustainable agriculture and waste management to sustainable product design, organizations across sectors are steering their sustainable measures to impact the environment and society positively. Dell Technologies is one of the early adopters of such green initiatives.

Being one of the global leaders in the technology sphere, Dell Technologies has been accelerating sustainability through energy-efficient data centers and servers and contributing to the circular economy. The company has also made promising claims about making its product content from recycled or renewable materials.

The EcoLoop collection of laptop cases is one of the technology leader's outstanding efforts. A new video campaign highlighting how these carrying cases are made from ocean-bound plastics emphasizes this point.

The CIO of Lupin Limited, Sreeji Gopinathan, an environmental specialist, narrates the journey from plastics to convenient cases. Through inspiring storytelling, the CIO takes the audience deep into the ocean to help realize why one needs to preserve natural resources, followed by how Dell Technologies raises the bar by combining sustainable design thinking and product usability. This motivating ad demonstrates how sustainability and creativity can coexist.