Local EcoTeams—employees who volunteer to participate in a variety of local environmental initiatives—lead projects to support ecosystem diversity and protection. IBM’s 28 EcoTeams, which span 70 IBM locations across 21 countries, completed approximately 180 activities in 2021: holding learning events; planting trees; maintaining pollinator gardens, bird boxes, and beehives; participating in beach cleanups; and more. Pollution prevention and waste management The best way to prevent pollution is to reduce the generation of waste at its source. This has been a basic tenet of IBM’s pollution prevention program since 1971. For waste that is generated, we focus on preventing pollution through a comprehensive, proactive waste management program. IBM’s waste management practices, in order of preference, are: (1) prevention and source reduction, (2) reuse, (3) recycling, (4) recovery, (5) other treatment, and (6) land disposal. Nonhazardous waste In 2021, IBM updated its nonhazardous waste goal to divert 90% or more (by weight) of IBM’s total nonhazardous waste from landfill and incineration by 2025, through reuse, recycling, composting, and waste-to-energy processes, and to use waste-to-energy processes for no more than 10% (by weight) of the diverted waste. This goal builds upon IBM’s prior waste management goals across several decades. In 2021, our operations generated 20,700 MT of nonhazardous waste worldwide, including IBM-owned nonhazardous end-of- life machines, parts, and materials, which accounted for 48% by weight of IBM’s total nonhazardous waste generated worldwide. We diverted 94.2% (by weight) of IBM’s total nonhazardous waste from landfill and incineration. Only 9.7% (by weight) of the total nonhazardous waste diverted from landfill and incineration was sent to waste-to-energy processes. These results were achieved through proper management of end-of-life IT materials by IBM’s global network of equipment recovery centers that enhance IT product reuse and recycling; improved office, cafeteria, and yard waste collection infrastructure resulting in better waste separation; and the elimination of some nonessential, single-use plastic items and packaging from our cafeterias. In addition, IBM avoided the generation of 424 MT of waste and saved an estimated $200,000 in disposal costs through a newly launched Furniture Donation Program for employees and external organizations in 2021. 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Nonhazardous waste landfill and incineration avoidance Total generated (metric tons × 1,000) 36.7 † 34.0 † 31.5 † 22.1 † 20.7 % by weight diverted from landfill or incineration (goal 90% by 2025) 87.7 † 89.4 † 87.3 † 83.3 † 94.2 % by weight of diverted waste sent to waste-to-energy processes (goal no more than 10%, established in 2021) – – – – 9.7 † Some batteries managed appropriately as hazardous waste were erroneously reported as nonhazardous waste during 2017–20. Although the change is extremely small, we have updated the results with the quantity of this hazardous waste removed. Product reuse and recycling % by weight of total IT product waste sent by IBM’s product end-of-life operations to landfill or incineration for treatment (goal not to exceed a combined 3% by weight) 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.5 0.3 45 IBM 2021 ESG Report