How Cisco Harnesses Circular Design for Sustainable Products

Cisco—a tech giant—has met its sustainability goal. They use circular design in every new product and every package. This step hits a key 2025 target. Cisco follows a circular economy model that cuts waste and makes resource use smart. This effort won them the 2025 Reuters Global Sustainability Award for Circularity.

What is Circularity and Cisco’s Approach

Circularity moves away from the old take–make–dispose way. Instead, it stresses reuse, repair, refurbishment, and recycling. This method helps products last long and lessens harm to our earth. Mary de Wysocki, Cisco’s Chief Sustainability Officer, said circular design lowers waste, boosts product efficiency, and brings better security. It also delivers more value to customers and communities.

Cisco started this work six years ago. They taught circular design to over 7,000 employees. Sustainability now sits at the heart of the firm.

Governance and Implementation Tools

Cisco built an online tool called the Circular Design Evaluation Tool. Each product and package must score at least 75% on 25 design points. A steering team and review committees keep the process clear and fair.

Tangible Environmental and Cost Benefits

Cisco’s circular design brings real savings and cuts material use. Consider these points:

• Webex Room Bar: Foam packaging is replaced by 55% recycled plastic. This change saves more than 14,515 kg (32,000 lbs) of material every year.
• Catalyst 9000 product line: They dropped oil-based paint. This move saved US$9 million between 2020 and 2025, cut 318 metric tonnes of volatile compounds, and lowered around 3,400 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

Data Infrastructure and Future Outlook

Cisco tracks its progress on a platform called the Sustainability Data Foundation. The system gathers metrics on circular design, carbon footprints, and efficiency. Reporting is done transparently through the Purpose Reporting Hub and annual reports.

Looking ahead, Mary de Wysocki reminds us that circular design is an ongoing journey and a business must. Cisco hosts teardown events where engineers, marketers, and supply chain experts meet. They explore fresh ideas in sustainable hardware design, packaging, sourcing, and repair.

As digital demands grow with AI and other tech, Cisco’s circular economy model shows that smart resource use can also bring commercial wins.

Key Takeaway: Cisco’s clear, governance-backed circular design program is a strong example of sustainable product development. By keeping reuse, material efficiency, and product life at the center, Cisco cuts environmental impacts while saving costs and improving operations.

Source: Manufacturing Digital, article by Georgia Collins, October 27, 2025

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