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>> Sumi Duskassumed spelling: With more and more electronics being produced, and then throw away every year, figuring out a way to dispose of the hazardous hardware without damaging the environment has become a top priority for many device manufacturers. In fact, the problem has become so large that ewaste is now the fastest growing segment of the municipal waste system around the world.

>> Bad news...

>> Sumi Dusk: Bonnie Nixonassumed spelling is the director of sustainability at Hewlett Packard.

>> Inaudible

>> Sumi Dusk: She says the company is hard at work on designing products that are easy to recycle water sounds and reuse.

>> Bonnie Nixonassumed spelling: Today we have recycle more than a billion pounds in 20 years. And we've got a goal in only the three years water sounds in 2007, 2010, to recycle another billion pounds. buzzing sounds

>> Sumi Dusk: Definitely an ambitious goal. But many believe HP and other PC makers have a lot f work to do. One of the criticisms leveled on the industry has been the use of unsafe materials inside computers. When PCs are disposed of, they can leak toxic chemicals into the environment. HP wants to make all of its devices water sounds recyclable. Today, 75 to 100 percent of their products meet the test water sounds. And they're creating facilities around the world various machine sounds to help break suspect materials and make recycling safer.

>> Bonnie Nixon: CRTs are one of the materials of concern. And there are very specific locations. In fact, one of them is in Singapore, outside of Singapore, Malaysia, where they actually get reused into glass again. And so making sure that it gets to the right facilities there, as well as ones that are in the Americas is important.

>> Sumi Dusk: HP is well known for its printer business. And their cartridges, after they're used up, are a huge source of ewaste. water sounds But the company is using a process called closed loop recycling to help curb the problem. Background talking Michelle Price is an environmental marketing manager with HP's printer group.

>> Michelle Priceassumed spelling: These are original, empty HP ink jet print cartridges. And we take the print cartridges, and we shred them. And then from there we actually take them through further processing from a recycling perspective. And then we add water bottles for strength. And then we turn that into a material that looks something like this. And then we take that material and we actually mold them into new ink jet print cartridges.

>> Sumi Dusk: Are all of the print cartridges that are bought by customers that are on store shelves today, are those all made out of recycled old cartridges?

>> Michelle Price: Not yet. We actually, last year, in 2008, announced that we have shipped over 250 million cartridges with recycled plastics in them, made from our close of recycling process. But not all of our print cartridges contain recycled content.

>> Sumi Dusk: water sounds But Nixon says they're working on it. And in the end, recycling isn't just good for the environment. water sounds But also good business practice.

>> Bonnie Nixon: Our business water sounds customers recognize that HP is completely committed to responsible recycling. So just by going on HP.com/recycle, you can find out how to get the product back to us. Find easy places to drop off the products. Find easy shipping solutions to get it back to us. And we'll make sure that it's handled responsibly.

>> Squeaking sound For Smart Planet, I'm Sumi Dusk.

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==== Transcribed by Automatic Sync Technologies ====

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  •  
    1

    chris@...

    06/08/09 | Report as spam

    RE: The real cost of e-waste

    HP's Job description "Environmental Marketing Manager" says a lot - this is a marketing initiative to clean up the industry's poor record on ewaste.

    In reality, when recycled responsibly, only about 10% of electronics components are recyclable, the remaining 90% will always become ewaste - see http://www.e-takeback.org/docs%20open/Toolkit_Legislators/tools/How%20Much%20E-Wastev4.pdf

    Every car (including Hummers) on the other hand is 90% recyclable due to stringent legislation over the years.

    The real way to tackle the ewaste problem now is to not buy so many electronics new, and for consumers to sell them on BEFORE they become obsolete.

    Doing this alone could reduce ewaste by up to 7 times right now! If a consumer buys a Core2Duo laptop, they should trade in their old Core Duo immediately instead of leaving it in a draw for 2 years. That way someone else will use it instead of buying new.

    Until now there has been no easy way of selling your pre-owned electronics unless you try your luck on Craigslist or eBay or opt to sell them for pennies on the dollar to online 'cash for your stuff' merchants.

    Trade2save.com is launching in the next 2-3 weeks. We'll buy your electronics for an honest price, sell them on to other customers quickly with a warranty, and give you carbon points so you can track the impact you're having on the environment. You can see our development site at www.trade2save.com/dev. We also have a blog www.trade2savetheplanet.com.

    Our aim is not to recycle but to encourage reuse - and make it as common to have a pre-owned electronic as having a pre-owned car.

  •  
    2

    mycteria@...

    07/28/09 | Report as spam

    RE: The real cost of e-waste

    Despite cheaper printer cartridge cost from non OEM cartridge manufacturers, I have always purchased HP cartridges as I am confident thet they would have returnable cartridge options. My company would not allow us to purchase non-returnable printer cartridges. HP makes this very easy.

  •  
    3

    krishnakumar.R

    09/18/09 | Report as spam

    krishna

    i want to present some papers about the solid waste management so can you help me by giving some of the important points and pictures to krishna.vignesh81@yahoo.com

  •  
    4

    abbas.u

    09/22/09 | Report as spam

    RE: The real cost of e-waste

    i want e-waste recycling process, any company e-waste is doing in tamilnadu i want that details also, i have intrested e-waste cycling process please sent me photograps or points abbas_eee08@yahoo.com

  •  
    5

    chris@...

    11/03/09 | Report as spam

    RE: The real cost of e-waste

    Ink cartridges account for a tiny fraction of e-waste. So HP shouldn't be concentrating on this - 87.5% of a Laptop (industrial average) is not recyclable and will end up as landfill (e-waste). For more information on how to really tackle the e-waste problem go to http://www.trade2save.com where you can sell your pre-owned electronics BEFORE they become e-waste. Recycling starts with re-use. Re-using one product reduces the e-waste by 50%, because an extra one isn't being bought new. It is over productivity which is fueling the crisis.

  •  
    6

    gerad1234

    12/23/09 | Report as spam

    RE: The real cost of e-waste

    thanks, i am early retired from sri lanka govt. job
    now free and willing to start computer repair and reuse and recycle programme in sri lanka.
    please help me to understand more about it .
    gerad

  •  
    7

    idrisimrn

    12/24/09 | Report as spam

    RE: The real cost of e-waste

    the best option is to ensure the good track of the waste, in no time
    will you see that the e waste will be more than present in the
    developing countries, thus paving way for the good buainess of e waste
    in thses conutries

  •  
    8

    palakshamurthy.B.S

    03/05/10 | Report as spam

    palakshamurthy

    i want an informataion on e waste .why e waste is very difficult to menage .how much e waste can we get from indian companies per month in india.if information avilable cities wise please send to me spal12pm@gmail.com

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