Microsoft's Redmond, Wash. campus has 33 cafes, 32 "espresso cafes," and more than 500 kitchenettes. With all those dining food and drink options and 44,000 employees on campus, one might assume that Microsoft is sending huge amounts of waste to landfills. Not so.

The software giant on Monday announced that its Redmond campus has received the US Zero Waste Business Council's highest certification, the first technology company in the country to achieve this benchmark. The Gold Level of Zero Waste Certification recognizes facilities that divert at least 90 percent of food, office, and construction waste away from landfills, something Microsoft accomplishes via employee-driven reuse, recycling, and composting programs as well as sustainable community partnerships.