The QTS Experience
The QTS Experience
Dave McCall
The QTS Experience 228: with Joel Chakkalakal; Waste, Recycling, and the tubing at Schlitterbahn
1 hour 7 minutes Posted Aug 11, 2025 at 7:00 pm.
Defining sustainability in data centers: carbon footprint and waste reduction
Joel’s Lean Six Sigma background and the eight wastes in processes
Logistics mastery in handling massive data center inflows and outflows
Evolving data center designs: multi-story builds and reduced UPS dependency
Decommissioning’s role in hyperscale growth and circular economy
Shifting from ”end of life” to ”end of first life” for devices
Everyone’s role in sustainability, from CEOs to techs
Open Compute Project (OCP) and collaborative plug-and-play designs
Importance of real data and dashboards over certifications
Evangelizing data centers in communities for better understanding
Nuclear energy evangelism: safety, green benefits, and sovereignty
Total cost of ownership in sustainable practices
Future disruption: robotic automation in data centers
Building confidence in AI through evangelism and data sources
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Show notes
Sustainability in data centers boils down to slashing carbon footprints and waste—think Lean Six Sigma magic and robotic automation. I geek out with Joel Chakkalakal on decommissioning hacks, circular economies, and why ops folks deserve a seat at the design table. Let's make our industry greener, one velcro trace at a time!
Studies, References, Data, or External Agencies
Lean Six Sigma: https://www.asq.org/quality-resources/six-sigma
Open Compute Project (OCP): https://www.opencompute.org/
IEEE Working Group on Data Sanitization (IEEE P2883): https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/2883/10711/
Nomad Futurist: https://nomadfuturist.com/
Pegasus Logistics: https://www.pegasuslogistics.com/ 
Guest Links Joel Chakkalakal's
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chakkalakal 
Company Website (Critical Risk Solution): https://www.criticalrisksolution.com/