HP today announced the introduction of its Take-Back return and recycling programme, an initiative to collect HP inkjet and LaserJet cartridges from corporate customers for recycling purposes, building on the company`s commitment to doing business in an environmentally responsible manner.
This initiative will be expanded in 2004 to also include the return and recycling of inkjet and LaserJet cartridges by consumers and small and medium businesses.
"With this programme, HP extends its commitment to SA in ensuring that the waste impact of its imaging and printing products is minimised. By providing a free and convenient recycling alternative to corporate HP customers, we contribute to managing waste and reducing the impact of our products on the environment," said Shane Tyrrell, supplies business manager at HP SA`s Imaging and Printing Group.
Returned original HP LaserJet print cartridges are disassembled at a recycling plant in France, where more than 95% of the material can be recovered and reclaimed. In turn, original HP inkjet printer cartridges are shipped to a recycling facility in Germany where, depending on the model, up to 70% by weight of each cartridge can be separated into its individual components and subsequently recycled. The remaining parts that cannot be used are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.
As a recognised leader in environmental stewardship, HP internationally began providing end-of-life solutions for its original print cartridges in 1991, starting with a LaserJet print cartridge return and recycling programme. Since its inception, this programme has recycled and recovered almost 68 million kilograms of HP LaserJet print cartridge materials worldwide. Coupled with these efforts, HP`s Design for the Environment programme integrates efforts in reducing the ecological footprint of a product in all stages of its design, manufacture, use and end of life.
"HP`s commitment to the environment goes far beyond recycling products and minimising landfill," said Tyrrell. "Our approach is to carefully align all aspects of a product`s lifecycle - from development and design, through manufacturing and distribution, to customer use and finally return and recycling."
HP has been recognised for its ecologically sound product design, manufacturing and recycling processes with various certifications and awards among them the Ecohitech Product Award, the German environmental label Blue Angel, the Energy Star and the Green Cross Millennium Award.
For more information on how to participate in Take-Back, contact (011) 448 1388 or 0800 11 8883 or visit the HP environmental sustainability Web site at http://www.hp.com/recycle.
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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 consumers, enterprises and small and medium businesses. For the last four quarters, HP revenue totalled $71.3 billion. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.
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