Hewlett-Packard took a stand for the environment Thursday with the launch of an e-Coupon Recycling Program designed to encourage HP customers to act more responsibly in their disposal of recyclable computer equipment.
An estimated 315 million computers will find their way into the trash bin by 2004, says the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, and yet there are only limited resources in place for dealing with this volume of waste. Out of the 66 million tons of solid waste that Californians generate every year, studies have indicated that 50 percent of that waste comes from the business sector.
HP’s rewards program is part of the HP Planet Partners initiative the computer maker launched in 1992 and will complement other HP environmental programs, including one that assists customers in recycling LaserJet and inkjet cartridges.
According to HP, its Planet Partners LaserJet program has helped recycle an estimated 39 million HP printer cartridges worldwide, which equals out to 50,000 tons of landfill materials.
HP’s e-Coupon Program is set up to reward HP consumers who recycle old computer equipment with a $50 coupon towards a new purchase. That equipment can be from any hardware manufacturer, the company said, and includes PCs, printers, servers, and scanners.
The e-Coupon Program was officially launched in the U.S. this week and will run through April of this year.
HP co-operates a recycling facility in Roseville, Calif. that processes 3 million pounds of unwanted computer equipment each month. The facility’s recycling equipment can effectively dismantle computer equipment so that it can be reused in the manufacture of new products.
Last year alone, HP recycled 260 tons of electronic equipment at its Roseville facility.
“HP recognizes that there are fundamental laws we must obey in order to exist as a business well into the 21st century,” said HP’s Director of Global Public Policy, David Isaacs, in an interview with green-techZONE.
“These include the fact that material and energy flows are finite and the capacity of the environment to absorb waste is limited. We believe sustainability is fundamental to our long-term business success, and our commitment to environmental sustainability has remained strong.”
HP began publishing a Social and Environmental Responsibility report last year that tracks the effects and achievements of its environmental sustainability initiatives.
The computer maker was named the 2002 winner of WRAP, a waste reduction rewards program for the business sector that was founded by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1993.
