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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.
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