Devoted to hardware, software, IT issues, and information technology management

While I haven't started hugging trees yet, I feel like running some more posts related to "green" computing.  I just posted Being Green: Climate Savers Computing yesterday and thought I'd follow up with a progress report from another front.  I ran across a post in Bits blog of the New York Times that discussed the efforts of some large technology vendors to recycle & reuse information technology products to reduce the amount that ends up in landfills.

I was aware that in the consumables area printer companies have long had programs in place allowing customers to ship spent toner cartridges back to the manufacturer, which can then be refilled and used again.  I didn't know how successful Xerox had been with their efforts until now:

"In November, Xerox announced that since 1991 it had reused or recycled a total of 2 billion pounds of spent toner cartridges, outmoded printers and such — enough waste, it said, to fill more than 160,000 garbage trucks, stretching more than 1,000 miles, from Seattle to the Mexican border."

According to the HP Global Citizenship report on recycling; they have been recycling information technology products since 1987.  They now offer recycling services in 45 countries or territories.  HP just reported having recycled nearly 250 million pounds of hardware and print cartridges globally in its fiscal year 2007 – an increase of approximately 50 percent over the previous year and the equivalent of more than double the weight of the Titanic.  They surpassed their original goal to recycle 1 billion pounds of technology equipment and are on their way to recovering 2 billion pounds of products by the end of 2010.

HP also reuses equipment to reduce the environmental impact and make products accessible to more people through hardware repair and remanufacturing programs.  HP just reported they have "reused 65 million pounds of hardware to be refurbished for resale or donation, increasing its annual reuse rate by 30 percent".

Many information technology companies offer trade-in programs of other vendor equipment towards the purchase of their particular brand, but did you know that HP also offers a similar program for regular consumers?  Through this month, HP's Computer Recycling Coupon program offers coupons valued up to $50 when you recycle your consumer computer hardware through HP's recycling service and then purchase a new hardware product on HP Home & Home Office Store.

Kermit might say it's not easy being green, but it's good to know that even big companies like HP and Xerox are making great strides in this area, as well as providing an opportunity for consumers to have a positive impact on the environment.