Khazna’s Dubai data center becomes world’s first to achieve zero waste certification with 99.55% diversion rate

UAE – Khazna Data Centers has announced that its DXB8 facility in Dubai has been awarded Zero Waste Certification by SCS Global Services, making it the first data center globally to achieve this status with a 99.55 percent waste diversion from landfill over a 12-month audited period, excluding tenant IT waste from data halls.

The independent, third-party audit confirms that the vast majority of waste generated at the facility is diverted through recycling, bottle reuse programs with vendors, resale, composting, and other approved recovery pathways for residual materials, in line with recognized waste-hierarchy best practice. 

The certification to the SCS Standard for Zero Waste (SCS-110) was awarded following a comprehensive assessment reviewing all waste generated by the facility.

What Zero Waste Means for a Data Center

For a hyperscale data center operating 24/7, waste streams include packaging from server shipments, construction debris during expansion, electronic waste from replaced components, batteries from UPS systems, and general office waste. 

Achieving 99.55 percent diversion means that less than half of one percent of this waste stream reaches landfill, a standard far stricter than typical municipal recycling targets of 50-70 percent.

The certification verifies not only the quantity of waste diverted but also the strength of underlying systems, governance, disciplined workplace culture, and continuous improvement processes that drive sustained, long-term waste reduction. 

For mission-critical infrastructure where scale, uptime, and complexity present unique sustainability challenges, this level of performance is both rare and meaningful.

Operational Discipline Across the Supply Chain

Elisabetta Baronio, Director of ESG at Khazna Data Centers, explained that achieving Zero Waste status is not about a single initiative but the result of consistent operational discipline, strong partnerships across the supply chain, and a culture that prioritizes environmental responsibility alongside performance and reliability. 

The DXB8 facility’s achievement reflects Khazna’s broader ESG strategy, which integrates sustainability into the design, construction, and operation of its facilities worldwide.

Why This Matters for Waste Management

Data centers are not the first industry that comes to mind when discussing waste diversion.

But as digital infrastructure expands to meet AI and cloud computing demand, the waste footprint of data centers grows proportionally. 

Packaging from thousands of servers, pallets, cables, and cooling components all require responsible end-of-life management. Khazna’s certification demonstrates that even complex, 24/7 industrial facilities can achieve near-zero landfill performance with disciplined systems.

When Infrastructure Meets Circularity

A data center that diverts 99.55 percent of its waste from landfill is not just powering the digital economy, it is proving that circular principles apply even in the most demanding industrial environments. 

For waste management professionals, DXB8 is a benchmark. For the data center industry, it is a challenge.

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