HP has recently announced an engineering breakthrough that enables the use of post-consumer recycled plastics in the production of new, original HP inkjet print cartridges.
The company’s innovative recycling process means that a variety of grades of recycled plastics – from everyday water bottles to highly-technical HP inkjet cartridges returned through HP’s Planet Partners program – can be used in the manufacture of new inkjet print cartridges.
In addition to closing the design loop, using recycled content saves energy and keeps plastic out of landfills. Since first piloting the process, HP has used enough recycled plastic to fill more than 200 tractor trailers.
Using recycled content is the latest advancement from HP’s Design for Environment program, which reduces the company’s environmental impact through material usage, ease of recycling and packaging efficiency.
Started in 1987, HP’s recycling program now operates in more than 50 countries, regions and territories, with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of IT products. The program minimises waste going to landfills and helps customers conveniently and responsibly manage products at their end of life.
Plastics and metals recovered from products recycled by HP have been used to make a range of new products, including auto body parts, clothes hangers, plastic toys, fence posts, serving trays and roof tiles. In addition to recycling, HP offers a variety of product end-of-life management services including donation, trade-in, asset recovery and leasing.
For decades HP has worked to manage its environmental impact by adopting environmentally responsible practices in product development, operations and supply chain. The company strives to be a global leader in reducing its carbon footprint, limiting waste and recycling responsibly. More information about the company’s environmental programs is available at www.hp.com/environment
Highlights from HP’s recycling programs in 2007 include:
• In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, HP nearly doubled the amount it recycled over last year to 77,111 metric tonnes of equipment.
• In the Americas region, HP recycled an estimated 29,484 metric tonnes of equipment.
• In the Asia Pacific region, HP recycled 5,897 metric tonnes of equipment.
