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Microsoft has announced a new Surface Ocean Mouse, a computing peripheral constructed with recycled plastic retrieved from the ocean and other waterways.

Jumping in on the sustainability trend, the new Surface Ocean Mouse is made with 20% recycled ocean plastic, while the box has no plastic and is fully recyclable.

Microsoft says this is the first time recovered ocean plastic has been used in the construction of a consumer tech product.

The recovered plastic which sits within the mouse’s outer shell is turned into pellets and then blended in order to form the new materials. The box is made from recyclable wood and sugarcane fibres.

It’s a pretty standard ergonomic wireless mouse with some ocean green accents and scroll wheel. It’s got Bluetooth LE connectivity but it’s not particularly focused on high-end computing experiences but it’s only $24.99. You can pre-order today ahead of the October 5 release date.

As The Verge points out, the resin used in the casing comes from Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), so there’s a Big Oil interest in this sustainable product, which will cause some people to hold their noses a little.

While these claims aren’t particularly eye catching – how hard is it to make a box recyclable? Only 20% recycled plastic? Why not 100% – it’s part of a wider sustainability strategy from Microsoft.

The company is going to go carbon negative by 2030, is adopting a zero waste policy and is going water positive, all by 2030.

“If you’re serious about innovation, you must also be serious about accessibility for everyone, and the sustainability of our most finite resource, our planet,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said during the event.

The company is already carbon neutral and its efforts now are about recouping all of that CEO it had sent out into the atmosphere prior to the environmental awakening.

Are the main tech companies doing enough to protect the planet and offset their impact? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.

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