KOREAN IT FIRMS,EVERTHING’S GOING GREEN

[Anonymous]

For Korean IT firms, everything’s going green
Long
at the forefront of global technological advances, Korea’s information
technology companies are now busy making themselves competitive in
environmental protection.
Early this year, the Ministry of
Environment implemented environmental regulations ― dubbed “extended
producer responsibility” ― for printers, making manufactures
responsible for the entire life-cycle of the products and packaging
they produce.
Printer ink and toners produce far more waste than
other parts used in information technology gadgets: 100,000 copies from
a laser printer leaves around 79.8 kilograms (176 pounds) of waste.
HP
Korea has already announced strengthened measures for collecting toner
cartridges. Using a recycling service called “Planet Partners,” HP has
designated 38 ink toner refurbishing centers and 165 printer service
centers across the nation to collect used cartridges. The company plans
to offer mileage cards redeemable for gift certificates to customers
who recycle the cartridges.
For its part, electronics giant Samsung
Electronics Co. is constructing recycling facilities entirely dedicated
to toner cartridges at its recycling center in Asan, South Chungcheong
province, by the end of April.
Samsung is also to push advertising
for its “green campaign,” which arranges the collection of used
cartridges, by publishing a series of handbooks on recycling and
issuing ads online.
The government has been phasing in the extended
producer responsibility program since 2003. From last year, mobile
phones were subject to the new environmental measures.
But industry sources say that the program has not been as effective for mobile phones as it had expected
While
mobile phone subscribers have continued to trade in used handsets when
buying new phones, broken phones still tend to be thrown away or kept
at home. As of Dec. 19 last year, more than 60 percent of used cell
phones were stored by households, according to a survey by YMCA’s Seoul
office.
Other environment-related legislation is to take effect in
Europe starting in July. Under a directive called the Restriction of
Hazardous Substances, the European Union will ban the manufacture and
sale of electronics goods that contain six heavy metals, including
cadmium, lead and mercury; electronics makers who do not abide by the
new rules will not be able to sell their products in Europe. IBM Korea
announced that it would stop using the six substances in all its
products in March, while Sun Microsystems Korea is to bring its goods
into line with the rules by June.

[Author]

February 8, 2006 at 9:26 AM