HP Ink Cartridges Reach (Wastefull) Sustainability Milestone

[Anonymous]

HP Ink Cartridges Reach Sustainability Milestone
by Stephen Nigro
(Tonernews.com:  Hey Hp how about remanufacturing all empty toner and ink instead of breaking them down into scrap plastic, wouldn't that be more environmentally friendly?)

Stephen Nigro is Senior Vice President of the Inkjet and Graphics Business at Hewlett-Packard.
 
I ’m excited to announce today that more than 75 percent of Hewlett-Packard’s ink cartridges and 24 percent of our LaserJet toner cartridges are now made with recycled plastic1 – a 50 percent increase in the number of HP cartridges with recycled content over last year. This effort brings us closer to achieving our Living Progress environmental goals, one of which is to recycled 3.5 billion pounds of electronic products and supplies by 2015.

How does it work?

HP’s “closed loop” cartridge recycling process creates new HP cartridges from recycled plastic. We get the plastic from returned HP cartridges and other sources, including recycled plastic bottles and plastic apparel hangers. Since 1991, we’ve kept 566 million returned HP cartridges out of landfills through this recycling process. Additionally, HP has kept 2.5 billion plastic water bottles and 4.5 million pounds of recycled hangers out of landfills since the start of these programs.

Why bother?

The production of energy for use building our products  accounts for more than half of HP’s total carbon footprint. By providing more sustainable ink options to our customers, HP is able to reduce that portion of our footprint. In fact, our “closed loop” recycling process has a 33 percent lower carbon footprint and consumes 54 percent less fossil fuel than the process for creating new plastic.2

We’re also firm believers that what benefits the environment also benefits our employees and our bottom line. Recycled ink cartridges join several other HP Living Progress sustainability initiatives, which we believe drive human and economic progress.

For example, our new packaging made from straw waste reduces our need for harvesting trees, emits less carbon dioxide, and uses less energy and water than traditional paper packaging.  At the same time, it’s also cheaper to produce and provides a new source of revenue for Chinese farmers. Our trans-Asian train route has reduced carbon impacts and is more affordable than air transport, while also allowing factory workers to live closer to their inland homes.

HP was the first company in the IT industry to set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals for our supply chain, and we’ve been praised externally for our overall GHG reduction efforts. I’m proud to say that today’s announcements contribute to our continued progress towards reducing our environmental impact. These efforts can help improve the lives of our customers, our more than 300,000 employees, and their communities around the world.

1. HP ink cartridges that include recycled plastic contain 50-70 % recycled plastic; HP LaserJet toner cartridges that include recycled plastic  contain 10-20 % recycled plastic.

2. Data and assumptions drawn from a 2014 life cycle assessment (LCA) performed by Four Elements Consulting and commissioned by HP.

 

HP Ink Cartridges Reach Sustainability Milestone
by Stephen Nigro
(Tonernews.com:  Hey Hp how about remanufacturing all empty toner and ink instead of breaking them down into scrap plastic, wouldn't that be more environmentally friendly?)

Stephen Nigro is Senior Vice President of the Inkjet and Graphics Business at Hewlett-Packard.
 
I ’m excited to announce today that more than 75 percent of Hewlett-Packard’s ink cartridges and 24 percent of our LaserJet toner cartridges are now made with recycled plastic1 – a 50 percent increase in the number of HP cartridges with recycled content over last year. This effort brings us closer to achieving our Living Progress environmental goals, one of which is to recycled 3.5 billion pounds of electronic products and supplies by 2015.

How does it work?

HP’s “closed loop” cartridge recycling process creates new HP cartridges from recycled plastic. We get the plastic from returned HP cartridges and other sources, including recycled plastic bottles and plastic apparel hangers. Since 1991, we’ve kept 566 million returned HP cartridges out of landfills through this recycling process. Additionally, HP has kept 2.5 billion plastic water bottles and 4.5 million pounds of recycled hangers out of landfills since the start of these programs.

Why bother?

The production of energy for use building our products  accounts for more than half of HP’s total carbon footprint. By providing more sustainable ink options to our customers, HP is able to reduce that portion of our footprint. In fact, our “closed loop” recycling process has a 33 percent lower carbon footprint and consumes 54 percent less fossil fuel than the process for creating new plastic.2

We’re also firm believers that what benefits the environment also benefits our employees and our bottom line. Recycled ink cartridges join several other HP Living Progress sustainability initiatives, which we believe drive human and economic progress.

For example, our new packaging made from straw waste reduces our need for harvesting trees, emits less carbon dioxide, and uses less energy and water than traditional paper packaging.  At the same time, it’s also cheaper to produce and provides a new source of revenue for Chinese farmers. Our trans-Asian train route has reduced carbon impacts and is more affordable than air transport, while also allowing factory workers to live closer to their inland homes.

HP was the first company in the IT industry to set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals for our supply chain, and we’ve been praised externally for our overall GHG reduction efforts. I’m proud to say that today’s announcements contribute to our continued progress towards reducing our environmental impact. These efforts can help improve the lives of our customers, our more than 300,000 employees, and their communities around the world.

1. HP ink cartridges that include recycled plastic contain 50-70 % recycled plastic; HP LaserJet toner cartridges that include recycled plastic  contain 10-20 % recycled plastic.

2. Data and assumptions drawn from a 2014 life cycle assessment (LCA) performed by Four Elements Consulting and commissioned by HP.

 

[Author]

May 1, 2014 at 11:54 AM