(VentureBeat) Climate concerns have put sustainability at the forefront of business strategy. Organizations have had to consider not just how to conduct business, but how to do it in a way that makes the least impact on our climate. And while sustainable business models are nothing new, they are evolving to meet the pace of innovation and adjusting to the new ways we work.
The prospect of shifting physical work, life and play online into the metaverse is exciting. That process, however, will inevitably create significant demand for data storage. As enterprises prepare for Web3 and consider how to do business at the convergence of emerging technologies, they may end up with massive online footprints that will generate an incredible need for data storage, which could lead to more products and more waste if not done thoughtfully.
Herein lies the problem: According to a United Nations estimate, less than a quarter of all U.S. electronic waste is recycled, and the rest ends up in landfills — posing a severe risk to the environment. As enterprises figure out how to conduct business in the metaverse, the increase in data demands has the potential to heighten the electronic waste problem. Additionally, as the metaverse becomes further integrated with the real world, corporate enterprises will be faced with a challenge: preparing for the next stage of digitization, with its associated storage demands, while prioritizing sustainability.
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