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No matter how you look at it, electronics is a filthy business. Manufacturing one desktop computer uses more than 240 kilograms of fossil fuels, 22 kilograms of chemicals and 1,500 kilograms of water, according to an environmental impact study carried out under the auspices of the United Nations. It takes four times more energy to produce a desktop than is required to power it over its life. The amount of energy consumed to produce a refrigerator, on the other hand, is only about one-eighth of what’s used to run it.
Although LCD monitors have resulted in a reduction in the amount of energy and materials required to produce PCs, they’ve also led to an increase in the purchase of new computers to replace functional PCs. And getting rid of old computers—and other electronic gadgets like cellphones, printers and PDAs—is environmentally problematic. Studies estimate that up to 600 million desktop and laptop computers, containing more than 1.2 billion pounds of lead, will soon be obsolete. And that’s just in the U.S. In fact, about 40% of the heavy metals in landfills—including lead, mercury and cadmium—come from discarded electronic equipment, according to a report produced by a group called the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.
As environmental issues move into the spotlight, computer makers are racing to project a green image. But one company—Hewlett-Packard—consistently ranks among the most environmentally conscious corporations in North America. HP, whose environmental projects are lumped under the Planet Partners program, is perhaps best known for its global recycling program. By the end of this year, HP plans to have recycled one billion pounds of hardware and print cartridges. In Canada, it has partnered with Toronto-based Noranda Recycling to develop facilities and processes to recycle electronic equipment responsibly, ensuring no hardware goes into landfills. All hardware products returned to HP Canada for recycling are taken to the Noranda plant in Brampton, Ontario, which has the capacity to recycle 10,000 pounds of end-of-life electronics per hour.
In 2006, HP expanded its product return program with the introduction of a new rechargeable-battery recycling program in Canada and the U.S. This enables customers to drop off their batteries at any of its 32,000 retail locations for free. The program covers rechargeable batteries found in most laptops and hand-helds, as well as some cameras and printers.
HP plans to introduce slimmer boxes for its print cartridges that will include recycled materials, saving 7 million kilograms of corrugated cardboard and PVC. Since 2003, the weight of HP’s multipacks has dropped by 80%, which saves on materials and gas because the HP can cram 30% more of the smaller packages onto its trucks. Of course, HP’s green initiatives aren’t based on pure environmental altruism, says Frances Edmonds, HP Canada’s director of environmental programs. “It’s also a competitive advantage,” she says, “because customers want to know what we’re doing for the environment.”
And HP’s image isn’t entirely squeaky green. While the company is working to reduce the amount of toxic material used in the manufacturing of its products, Greenpeace argues it should be doing more. Toxins were a major component of Greenpeace’s “Guide to Greener Electronics,” in which the organization rated 14 computer and cellphone manufacturers on a scale of 1 to 10. HP, Lenovo, Dell, Acer, Samsung, Sony, Nokia and Motorola all scored above 5 on the toxic scale. Apple came in at 2.7—the worst of all computer manufacturers.
However, when it came to new laptops, HP didn’t fare so well. Greenpeace tested new machines from the major manufacturers for toxic chemicals such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs), PVC and lead. Apple and HP laptops contained the highest levels of contamination. HP now says it has removed several of these chemicals from its laptops but the company was bumped down the ranking from third to sixth.
In HP’s defence, Edmonds says it does comply worldwide with the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment set by a European parliamentary directive. While not suggesting it was a supply chain issue, Edmonds adds that HP has banned some chemicals and restricted others, and “all our suppliers must comply. We monitor supply chain issues.”
The big surprise on the latest Greenpeace rating was Chinese PC maker Lenovo who went from last place to first. The company which bought IBM’s consumer electronics division in 2005, offers take-back and recycling programs in all the countries where its products are sold. It also reports the amount of e-waste it recycles as a percentage of its sales. “Given the growing mountains of e-waste in China, both imported and domestically generated,” says Rick Hind, the legislative director of the Greenpeace toxics campaign, “it’s heartening to see a Chinese company taking the lead and assuming responsibility, at least for its own branded waste.”
Meanwhile, Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Inc., has challenged the computer industry to adopt a worldwide take-back policy, something that HP has also adopted. Reducing toxins and keeping gear out of landfills aren’t the only issues facing the computer industry. Cutting back on power consumption is the next big challenge, and this is where HP is on track. The company has promised to reduce its global energy use by 20% by 2010. To accomplish this, it will deliver energy efficient products and services, and institute energy efficient operating practices in its facilities worldwide. For example, HP recently introduced select desktop business PCs that offer 80%-efficient power supplies—the first PCs to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s new Energy Star 4.0 requirements (see related story on page 16). To move the company closer to its global energy reduction goal, HP also bought 11 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy in 2006 and plans to increase its green power purchases by more than 350% by the end of this year.
HP is also encouraging large data centres to get with the energy reduction program, said Edmonds. HP’s Dynamic Smart Cooling energy management system delivers up to 45% savings energy costs. The system uses software residing in an intelligent control node to adjust air conditioning settings based on real-time air-temperature measurements and delivers cooling where it is needed most, thus reducing overall energy consumption.
BAD APPLE? JOBS SAYS NO WAY
Two years ago, Greenpeace accused Apple, by far the hottest computer brand among young people, of lagging behind other PC makers when it comes to removing toxins from its machines. To raise awareness of Apple’s alleged shortcomings, Greenpeace launched GreenMyApple, a PR campaign complete with an website calling on Apple to commit to a time frame in which it would eliminate toxic materials from its Macs.
In Greenpeace’s recent ratings exercise of 14 computer and cellphone manufacturers on a toxic-waste scale of 1 to 10, Apple came in at 2.7, the worst of all computer makers.
The debate between Apple and Greenpeace became, well, toxic when Apple chief executive officer Steve Jobs claimed his company was being “singled out” by Greenpeace and publicly called the organization’s claims “bullshit.”
While Apple declined to talk to TQ, a spokesperson wrote in an e-mail that the company has led the industry in restricting and banning toxic substances used in manufacturing its Mac computers. “We disagree with Greenpeace’s rating and the criteria they chose. Apple has a strong environmental track record and has led the industry in restricting and banning toxic substances such as mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium, as well as many BFRs (brominated flame retardants). We have also completely eliminated CRT monitors, which contain lead, from our product line.
“Apple desktops, notebooks and displays each score best-in-class in the EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] ranking system EPEAT [Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool], which uses international standards set by IEEE [Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers].”
The electronics industry is moving toward more environmentally friendly policies and, to be fair, Apple was one of the first companies to retire CRT monitors and is looking for alternatives to PVC and flame retardants. But
Dell and HP have set dates by which they will phase out toxins; Apple has not. Greenpace’s campaign started to gain momentum recently. In early May, just after Earth Day, Jobs posted a detailed open notice on Apple’s website (www.apple.com/hotnews/ agreenerapple). The missive spells out what the computer manufacturer plans to do to become “a greener Apple,” including a promise to phase out the worst chemicals in its product range by 2008. In addition, Apple customers in the U.S. will be able to return computer products for recycling, knowing that their gear will not end up in the e-waste mountains of Asia. But Apple isn’t making that promise to customers in other countries. Other manufacturers offer worldwide take-back and recycling programs, says Greenpeace’s Rick Hind. “Apple should too.”
How to recycle your IT leftovers
David Boss keeps computer recycling all in the family. The president of Boss Communications, a technical writing company based in Mississauga, Ontario, passes computers down the line to other family members. His oldest son has a laptop that Boss bought four years ago. His mother-in-law uses an old PC for online games and e-mail. And his father-in-law has a PC bought back in 1996 that Boss says can only be described as “a glorified typewriter.”
But not every company can keep computers out of landfills by giving them away. At some point, computers become so obsolete that they’re useless, or they break down and aren’t worth fixing.
Here are a few alternatives to dumping them in the garbage:
Hewlett-Packard’s Planet Partners take-back program, ww.hp.ca/recycle
Consumers and businesses can return any piece of computing hardware from any manufacturer, for a fee. The cost of the service ranges from $13 to $34 per item, depending on the type and quantity of hardware to be returned. Hardware is reused or recycled in a way that conserves resources.
HP also offers a trade-up program to refurbish and resell old computers with some life left in them. The customer can put the value of the sale toward the purchase of new HP products. Of course, if a company leases equipment from HP, HP takes care of the old product when the contract’s up. Consumers can also recycle HP inkjet or laserjet cartridges by using the return materials included in cartridge boxes or by ordering postage paid return material.
Dell Asset Recovery Services, www.dell.com/assetrecovery
In most major markets, Dell will pick up used IT equipment—no matter the brand—from business and institutional customers, for a fee (the cost depends on the amount of equipment, location and timeframe for pickup). The service also covers data removal from hard drives and “value recovery”—a service that refunds to customers up to 90% of the value of items refurbished and resold by Dell.
For home consumers, Dell offers free recycling for used or unwanted Dell computer equipment, free of charge. The company will also accept other brands of equipment from customers buying a new Dell computer or printer. Consumers can also donate used (but still functioning) computers of any brand to non-profit organizations in their area through Dell’s relationship with the National Cristina Foundation, which helps people with disabilities and low-income families through technology.
Apple Recycles program, www.apple.com/environment
Apple started a take-back service for customers in the U.S. and Canada in 2001. Since then, it has recycled more than 90% (by weight) of all electronic equipment collected. Apple’s recycling program includes free computer take-back and recycling with the purchase of a new Mac. Customers who want to dispose of used computers or monitors at any other time can buy prepaid shipping labels and send them to Apple’s recycling partners.
Reboot Canada, www.rebootcanada.ca
If you’ve got old but working computers to give away, Reboot will take them. This non-profit organization has been providing computer hardware, training and technical support to charities, non-profits and people with limited access to technology since 1996.
Little Geeks Foundation, www.littlegeeks.org
This Toronto-based recycling charity, created last fall, distributes used but working computer equipment to kids in need.
Final tip:To ensure that computer equipment will be recycled once the lease is up, small and mid-sized businesses can include a recycling section in requests for quotes.