HP today announced it is accelerating its product recycling program by setting a goal to recycle 1 billion pounds of electronic products and printing supplies globally by 2007.
In 2003, HP recycled more than 100 million pounds of electronic products and printing supplies through its Planet Partners return and recycling program, raising the company-wide total to 500 million pounds recycled since HP began recycling in 1987. This goal is specific to recycling, and does not include the millions of products that HP and its partners refurbish, re-use, donate or resell.
Addressing electronic waste is one of HP’s three global citizenship priorities. As part of this effort, HP opened its first recycling facility in Roseville, Calif. in 1997, becoming the only major computer manufacturer to operate its own end-to-end recycling facility. A second HP recycling facility has since been opened in LaVergne, Tenn. HP’s other two global citizenship priorities are focused on raising social and environmental standards in the supply chain and increasing access to information technology.
HP intends to reach this global recycling goal by expanding the program to more customers and creating new, convenient ways for consumers to return and recycle used or unwanted electronic equipment in a convenient and environmentally responsible manner. Since HP Planet Partners was officially launched in 1991, the company has implemented a number of initiatives designed to increase customer awareness of the importance of recycling unwanted computer products, including:
e-coupons: e-coupons offer online recycling customers savings on new products from HPshopping.com. In-box labels and envelopes: Postage-paid labels and envelopes are included in many replacement HP LaserJet and inkjet print cartridge boxes in the United States and Europe. Standards: HP has global recycling standards for management of end-of-life computer hardware products that address labor and safety at supplier operations.
Public policy: HP has worked closely with national, state and provincial governments to develop “shared responsibility” recycling legislation where producers are responsible for the recycling of their products.
The HP Planet Partners program operates globally in more than 30 countries and seeks to reduce the environmental footprint of IT products, minimize waste going to landfills and provide customers with a convenient and environmentally sound end-of-life solution.
More information on HP Planet Partners is available at www.hp.com/recycle. HP’s 2004 Global Citizenship Report is available at www.hp.com/go/report.
About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2004, HP revenue totaled $76.8 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.