HP has a global presence as a company and is therefore in a unique position to get involved in all kinds of electronic recycling activities.
For a number of years, HP has also collected old IT equipment through direct Take-Back events hosted by charities and at selected HP sites throughout EMEA.
The events offer a unique way of connecting with consumers, corporate customers and employees alike, and on an important issue.
Some of HP’s customers are also beginning to show interest in collaborating with HP on this issue, for example to set up Take-Back IT recycling events for their own employees or customers.
Engaging the community
The events are also a great way to work with local communities. For example, last month, HP UK successfully completed four charity recycling events, working with the Hertfordshire WasteAware Partnership and Maxitech.biz, in the South East of England.
HP is now running Take Back events across the EMEA region. In the last year HP held more than 100 direct take back events in the region where people were invited to return any brand of old IT equipment to HP.
Through its direct involvement, HP can identify more easily IT equipment that can be refurbished and re-used more easily. For example, during these events in the UK, an impressive total of 46 tonnes of unwanted IT equipment was collected. Of the equipment collected, 28 per cent can be professionally refurbished and given to local charities or resold to UK-based organisations unable to afford new equipment.
Globally, HP refurbished almost 29 million kilograms of hardware for resale or donation in 2007.
The equipment unsuitable for refurbishment will be recycled by a specialised recycling plant, minimising the electronic waste that goes to landfill and reducing its environmental impact.
Ambitious recycling goal
HP is also on track to reach its next recycling goal of recycling 0.9 million tonnes or 2 million pounds of IT equipment by 2010.
In January this year, HP also announced an industry first - an engineering breakthrough that enables the use of post-consumer recycled plastics in the production of new Original HP inkjet print cartridges.
More than 200 million cartridges have been manufactured using the process thus far. HP used more than 2.26 million kilograms of recycled plastic in its inkjet cartridges last year, and is committed to using twice as much in 2008. HP’s innovative recycling process facilitates the combination of multiple sources and grades of recycled plastics – from everyday water bottles to highly technical HP inkjet cartridges. Using recycled content saves energy and keeps plastics out of landfill sites. This breakthrough further extends HP’s ability to manage its products cradle-to-cradle, contributing to setting the highest standards.
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