Ready Steady Recycle: HP supports new e-waste law

It’s the law of the land.

From this month, manufacturers and retailers in the UK are responsible for recycling electronic waste under new EU legislation called the WEEE (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment) Directive.

This e-waste consists of washing machines, TVs, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, mobile phones and, of course, computers. The United Nations Environmental Program (www.unep.org) estimates that every year, 20 million to 50 million tonnes of e-waste are dumped into landfills worldwide. The average person in the UK will throw away over three tonnes in a lifetime1.

HP has participated in all stages of the legislative process to launch the EU directive, which will make it easier for businesses and consumers to play a role in protecting the environment. As of 1 July this year, its recycling requirements come into force in the UK.

HP's recycling centres around the world already process about 1.8 million kilograms of computer-related hardware. HP has set a target to recycle half a billion kilos of electronic products and printing supplies by 2007.

Every HP customer will have a role to play in protecting the environment.

Once the new law is implemented in July, consumers will be able to simply return HP equipment to civic amenity sites (also known as the local tip) and it will be delivered to an approved facility for re-use, recovery and recycling. HP already provides free recycling of all electronic equipment for commercial customers once they have returned the equipment to a HP-designated collection point. HP anticipates that take-back and recycling requirements will form an integral part of future commercial business relationships.

“We know that our customers want to participate in our recycling programme -- 'how do I recycle?' is the most frequent environmental question received by HP,” said Kirstie McIntyre, WEEE Programme Manager, HP UK and Ireland.

In partnership with local authorities and industry associations, HP is ensuring that WEEE works in practice as well as on paper. This means creating a new competitive recycling industry, whether at the UK or pan-European level, raising recycling standards, and increasing efficiency.

Joining forces with Sony, Braun and Electrolux, HP has also created the European Recycling Platform -- a common platform for recycling electrical and electronic waste at a pan-European level. The ERP was formed to ensure that competition will be used to increase recycling quality and efficiency.

HP has worked for many years to design products that are easier to recycle. The American Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) named HP winner of its 2006 Design for Recycling Award.

The challenge of coping with e-waste goes far beyond hardware disposal. Experience has shown that the environmental impact of a product is largely determined at the design stage, so successful recycling requires innovation. HP’s Design for the Environment (DfE) programme is reducing the ecological footprint of HP products in all stages of their design, manufacture, use and disposal. Each line of HP computing and imaging products is designed to offer better performance than previous models, to use less energy and fewer materials – for example, made with only two kinds of plastic instead of fifteen.

HP has developed an HP Scanjet scanner component made from 25 percent recycled inkjet cartridge plastic and 75 percent recycled plastic bottles, while meeting all part and product specifications and requirements.
HP’s environmental product stewards work to improve product environmental characteristics. One printer, the HP Deskjet 6540, illustrates how DfE raises environmental standards in HP products. The initial product specifications included painted plastic, which is difficult to recycle. However, the design team worked together to create a more environmentally sound product and the Deskjet 6540 won awards for industrial as well as environmental design. Even more important, it also won accolades for being a great printer.

In addition to its role in WEEE, HP is committed to the highest standards of recycling around the world. For example, in Asia, HP offers product recycling services free of charge to all commercial business customers in nine countries and regions, including China. HP has recycled computer and printer hardware since 1987.

The WEEE Directive does not include printing supplies. HP has been operating the industry-leading HP Planet Partners™ return and recycling programme for HP
printing supplies for the past 13 years. HP LaserJet and inkjet print cartridge recycling for European customers is conducted at facilities in France and Germany. No HP
print cartridges returned through Planet Partners are sent to landfill. Plastics and metals from recycled cartridges have been used to make a range of everyday new
products -- such as automotive parts, clothes hangers, fence posts and shoe soles.

HP recycles and recovers for energy up to 98 percent of returned HP LaserJet print cartridge materials, by weight, worldwide. HP’s recycling centres offer an environmentally friendly alternative to dumping electronic trash in landfills or shipping it to Asia, where the recycling industry is unregulated and creates toxic pollution.