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A warm welcome back to “Women in Circularity,” where we shine a light on women moving us toward a circular economy. This month, I was pleased to connect with an impact‑driven circularity leader: Sanyukta Saptasagar, Senior Manager of Circular Cloud Supply Chain at Microsoft—a global technology company. Through her work, Sanyukta advances programs that extend asset life, enable value recovery and embed circular principles across Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure. Her focus on cross‑functional collaboration and practical innovation is helping accelerate a more regenerative future for the tech industry.
In what ways has your professional journey shaped the strategies you’re using to make circular design foundational to Microsoft’s hardware development?
By overseeing end-of-life cloud hardware disposition operations over the past several years, I’ve had a front-row view of what happens to technology assets after they leave active service. That experience has reinforced a critical lesson: circularity must be built into the supply chain from the outset. The ability to recover valuable components, maximize hardware reuse, extend asset lifecycles and capture critical materials depends on creating the right operational pathways long before an asset reaches end of life. By designing supply chains that enable continuous value recovery and material circulation, we can transform retired hardware from a disposal challenge into a strategic resource that strengthens both sustainability and supply chain resilience.
Leading circularity initiatives has reinforced my belief that circularity must be embedded into the core of supply chain operations, not treated as an afterthought. My experience scaling circular initiatives globally and advancing initiatives such as rare earth element recovery has demonstrated that circularity creates both environmental and business value. It reduces waste, strengthens supply chain resilience, preserves critical resources and supports sustainable cloud growth. Those lessons continue to shape how I help drive circular thinking as a foundational element of hardware lifecycle strategy.
What has been the biggest challenge to scaling cloud hardware reuse across the industry within operations?
I believe the biggest challenge to scaling cloud hardware reuse, across the broader industry, is operationalizing circularity at scale. It requires moving beyond isolated reuse and recycling programs and embedding circular principles into every stage of the hardware lifecycle while continuing to meet the performance, security, reliability and compliance requirements that global cloud operations demand.
The complexity comes from balancing multiple factors simultaneously. Organizations must ensure technical feasibility, navigate varying regulatory requirements across regions, generate sustainable operations and achieve ambitious environmental goals. Success requires building standardized processes, infrastructure and partnerships that enable hardware, components and materials to flow efficiently back into the supply chain rather than exiting it after a single use.
Ultimately, scaling hardware reuse is as much an operational challenge as it is a sustainability opportunity. One who can successfully integrate material recovery and reuse into their core business processes will not only reduce waste but also strengthen supply chain resilience, preserve critical resources and better support the rapid growth of AI and cloud infrastructure.
Can you share an initiative you’ve worked on that significantly advanced circularity within Microsoft’s supply chain and what made it impactful?
One of the most impactful circularity initiatives I’m part of at Microsoft is the Rare Earth Element (REE) recovery program from decommissioned hard disk drives (HDDs) in our cloud infrastructure. Traditionally, HDDs were shredded at end of life, resulting in the loss of valuable rare earth elements contained in the drive magnets. By partnering across engineering, supply chain, sustainability teams and recovery partners, we’ve developed and scaled a process to recover these critical minerals.
What makes this project particularly meaningful is that it demonstrates how end-of-life cloud hardware can become a source of value rather than waste. The successful recovery of rare earth elements from decommissioned HDDs has advanced Microsoft’s circularity goals and showcased how innovation and collaboration can create both environmental and business value.
What do you see as a strong near-term opportunity in cloud hardware circularity?
One of the strongest near-term opportunities in cloud hardware circularity is building a more connected and collaborative ecosystem across the industry. Traditionally, supply chains operated in a largely linear model, where products moved from manufacturing to use and eventually to recycling or disposal. To truly scale circularity, we need to shift to a circular supply chain model where components, materials and assets continuously flow back into productive use.
A critical part of this transformation is bringing together all the players across the value chain. Every player in the chain, rather than viewing themselves as the end of the chain, should see themselves as the beginning of the next lifecycle, enabling valuable components and materials to re-enter the supply chain.
By creating stronger partnerships, greater transparency and more efficient pathways for material recovery and reuse, we can build a robust circular ecosystem that keeps high-value materials in circulation longer. Ultimately, the biggest opportunity is not in any single technology, but in connecting the entire ecosystem to turn circularity into a scalable industry-wide capability.
What guidance would you share with women driving sustainability inside large corporate environments?
My advice is to think of sustainability as a business imperative equivalent to an environmental goal. The most impactful sustainability initiatives are the ones that create measurable value by improving operational efficiency, recovering resources, reducing costs, mitigating supply chain risks and supporting long-term growth.
It’s also important to be persistent and build coalitions. Transformational change rarely happens within a single team. Sustainability initiatives often require influencing across functions, aligning diverse stakeholders and challenging long-standing processes. Don’t underestimate the power of collaboration and relationship-building to turn ambitious ideas into scalable solutions.
Finally, don’t wait to have all the answers before taking the lead. Sustainability is a rapidly evolving field and innovation comes from those willing to ask difficult questions, challenge the status quo, and learn along the way. Some of the most meaningful progress happens when you combine passion with data, resilience and a willingness to bring others on the journey.
As women leaders, we also have an opportunity to inspire the next generation by bringing diverse perspectives and demonstrating that sustainability leadership is also about creating lasting business, environmental and societal impact.
