Everyone here at OWC is proud to mark Earth Day 2026 today alongside the global community. Once again, the theme Our Power, Our Planet is a call to action that resonates deeply with who we are as a company and how we operate.
Because at OWC, protecting the environment isn’t a seasonal initiative. It’s a core value that shapes everything from how we power our headquarters to how we design and sell our products.
Here’s how OWC is doing its part to care for our planet on Earth Day and every day and how you can play your own part.
Earth Day Matters
First observed in 1970, Earth Day has grown into the world’s largest civic environmental movement, with more than one billion people in 193 countries participating each year. It serves as a global moment to take stock of our relationship with the planet, acknowledging the real and growing threats of climate change, habitat loss, and environmental degradation, while recommitting to the actions, both large and small, that can make a difference.
This year’s theme, Our Power, Our Planet, is a reminder that the transition to cleaner energy and more sustainable systems isn’t something that is just going to happen for us. It’s something we must choose to drive. Individuals, communities, and businesses all have a role to play. That sense of collective responsibility is one we take seriously at OWC.
OWC’s Commitment to a Better Future
Sustainability is woven into the fabric of OWC’s operations and has been for a long time. And our commitment goes well beyond the products we sell. It starts with how we power and run our own headquarters.
Wind Power Leadership
OWC’s headquarters in Woodstock, Illinois is powered by a 500kW wind turbine, making us the first U.S. manufacturer and distributor to achieve 100% on-site wind power. Our turbine generates more electricity than our facility consumes — with surplus energy flowing back into the local grid.
Geothermal Climate Control
Our facility uses a geothermal heating and cooling system that circulates environmentally safe liquid through geo-wells drilled more than 250 feet deep. This closed-loop system efficiently regulates building temperatures year-round, dramatically reducing our dependence on conventional HVAC energy consumption.
Solar Energy Integration
Complementing our wind and geothermal systems, OWC has installed solar panels at both our Woodstock and Austin, Texas locations, further reducing our carbon footprint and diversifying our commitment to clean, renewable energy.
97% Solid Waste Recycling
OWC recycles 97% of its solid waste materials. Every day—in both the long lasting products we sell and in our waste management practices—we strive to minimize what goes to landfills and to keep materials in productive use wherever possible.
You can learn more about these initiatives at our Think Green page.
How OWC Products Help You Live More Sustainably
Environmental responsibility doesn’t stop at our front door. The products OWC designs and sells are built with longevity, repairability, and waste reduction in mind, giving you real tools to reduce your own tech footprint.
Upgrade Instead of Replace
One of the most impactful things you can do for the environment, and your wallet, is to extend the life of the devices you already own. OWC has been helping Mac users do exactly that since 1988, with RAM upgrades, SSD upgrades, and storage expansion options that can give aging machines years of new life. Every Mac that stays in service is one less device headed for the waste stream.
Trade In, Don’t Throw Away
When it is time to move on from an older device, OWC’s SellYourMac.com trade-in program offers a responsible path forward. Trade in your old Mac, iPhone, iPad, or other device and get a great return to put toward your next purchase, all while ensuring your old tech gets refurbished for a new owner or recycled responsibly. It’s the circular economy in action.
Durable Products Built to Last
OWC designs products to be high-performing and long-lasting, reducing the cycle of buy, break, replace that drives so much electronics waste. Whether it’s a rugged Envoy Ultra or Envoy Pro Elektron drive built for the demands of professionals working in the field, or a ThunderBay RAID storage system that scales with your needs for years, OWC gear is made with durability as a design principle, not an afterthought.
Smarter Everyday Habits
Small actions with your tech add up. A few worth adopting today:
- Enable sleep and low-power modes on your Mac and iOS devices.
- Unplug chargers and peripherals when not in use.
- Consolidate storage instead of accumulating disposable drives; and
- When you shop for gear, look for products built to last.
This Earth Day, Exercise Your Power
The message behind Our Power, Our Planet is an optimistic one: that the choices we make as individuals and organizations genuinely matter, and that the cumulative effect of those choices can move mountains. Or, more accurately, can keep them intact.
At OWC, we’ll keep investing in renewable energy, reducing waste, building products that last, and giving customers tools to do the same. We hope you’ll join us in making every day a little more like Earth Day.
Happy Earth Day from everyone at OWC. 🌎
