Applied Materials

Applied Materials, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, supplies equipment, services, and software for semiconductor and advanced display manufacturing. Its operations, which include labs, R&D spaces, cleanrooms, suppliers, and customer fab services, make water use a significant factor in its ESG performance.

Applied Materials' most notable water sustainability achievements are at its sites in Taiwan and China. In Taiwan, the company recycled rainwater during the rainy season for irrigation, using 500-ton tanks and saving approximately 2,000 tons of water from June to November 2024. Additionally, reclaimed water was used for toilet flushing at sites in both Taiwan and China, saving over 6,000 tons of water in 2024.

Applied's water strategy is significant because about 90% of its water use occurs in labs or mixed-use buildings, with R&D labs being the largest consumers of ultrapure water. Most tools, however, use cooling water in a closed-loop process, resulting in minimal net water consumption.

Applied extended its water efficiency efforts beyond its own facilities through Applied Global Services. In fiscal 2024, the company launched ECO Services, which connect process tools and subsystems to eco-efficiency hardware, software, and IoT sensors. These services help customers measure, monitor, and reduce consumption of power, utilities, water, and fuel.