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July 05, 2006
Recycling 1.2--Dell, HP, and Apple Upgrade Takeback Programs to Slouch Toward Sustainability
by Bill Baue
The Computer TakeBack Campaign applauds the improvements while mapping the long road the computer
industry still has to travel to attain true sustainability.
SocialFunds.com --
In the past month, three major computer companies--Dell (ticker: DELL), HP (HPQ), and Apple (AAPL)--have announced major upgrades
to their recycling programs, with Dell's global policy leading the pack. However, for an industry known for rapid innovation, these
new programs still lag far behind the curve on the path toward true sustainability. Expressed in
terms of the history of the computer movement, these new programs move the industry from punch
cards to magnetic disc storage, leaving a long game of catch-up in addressing issues such as
computer component toxicity and the business model of planned obsolescence.
 "All three companies should be commended
for making improvements in their takeback programs," said Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the
Computer TakeBack Campaign, which
has performed an in-depth comparison of the programs. "Dell announced that, starting in the fall, they
will take back all Dell products from individuals worldwide, even if you are not buying a
new Dell product."
"While that may not seem like a big difference on the surface, we think
it's a significant statement to say--'We won't just take back old products to get you to buy our
new ones, but we will take responsibility for our products at the end of their useful life,
Period," Ms. Kyle told SocialFunds.com. "The Computer TakeBack Campaign promotes this concept of
'extended producer responsibility' and we'd like to see all computer companies step up to the plate
like Dell has."
HP and Apple are in the ballpark, but they have yet to step into the
batter's box, as their recycling programs are far from global in scale. HP's announcement augments
its standard recycling program (which offsets $13 to $34 recycling costs by providing a rebate
coupon) by offering free collection events in just a handful of US states (though it is globalizing
its recycling efforts.)
"We need to see HP & Apple accelerate the supplemental free events
like those just announced by HP," said Conrad MacKerron, director of the corporate responsibility
program at the As You Sow (AYS) Foundation,
an active partner of the Computer TakeBack Campaign. "It's been two years since they did a
large-scale, free take back at Office Depot, and Apple still has
done nothing on this scale."
Ms. Kyle would like to see Apple institute takeback at Apple
stores, but this has yet to happen.
"One main weakness for all 3 company programs is that
they are mail back programs," said Ms. Kyle. The order of the recycling process is another
problem. "To get free recycling from HP's regular takeback program, you must recycle first,
then you receive a coupon for a discount towards your purchase that usually covers the cost of
recycling, but no one will send back their old computer before they buy the new one."
Apple is only slightly better in this realm, allowing 30 days to ship back old product for
free.
"Many people will want a longer time period to make sure they have transferred all
their data, and that everything is working properly, before they surrender their old product," Ms.
Kyle pointed out. "We have been pressuring Apple for a year and a half to live up to its 'think
different' motto and create a serious, free takeback recycling program, but the company has done
almost zero publicity about their new takeback program, which makes us wonder if they really have a
commitment to this issue."
"These programs will make a difference only if they promote
them aggressively so that consumers use them," she adds. "We want to see these companies use the
same expertise and creativity they apply to selling their products to getting them back for
responsible recycling or refurbishment."
Beyond aggressive promotion, how the recycling
proposition is framed can also impact success.
"I hope we can convince companies that
recycling can be cool, a statement of environmental awareness and responsibility--like owning a
Prius," Mr. MacKerron said. "Part of companies' responsibility is to educate and connect the link
between purchases and disposal issues for customers--for example by prominently displaying free
takeback offers, developing charts about the amount of energy various models will save you, and
advertising 'green' models that are lead free."
Other parts of companies' responsibility
are accountability and transparency.
"Companies need to set increasingly challenging goals
and then provide transparent reporting about how they are meeting their goals," said Ms. Kyle.
"Both Dell and HP have set public takeback goals, but Apple has not."
HP has committed to
recycle one billion pounds by 2007, while Dell promises to recycle 280 million pounds by 2009. HP
led this charge by taking back 140 million pounds in 2005, compared to Dell's 41 million pounds and
Apple's scant 6.2 million pounds.
"When you look at what these companies took back in
2005, and then compare it to sales figures from seven years ago (as the companies argue is the fair
way to do this), you will see that the takeback programs still have a long way to go," Ms. Kyle
said.
In 2005, Dell recycled 9.7 percent of its 1999 sales, HP took back 6.2, and Apple a
mere 3.5 percent. In addition to end-of-life takeback rates, start-of-life materials decisions and
the industry's very business model are key to achieving true sustainability.
"While we
applaud companies for their programs to take back and recycle products, we also need to see them
phasing out the toxic materials that make them hard to recycle safely and easily," said Ms. Kyle.
"The term 'sustainability' gets thrown around in CSR reports but a genuine focus on
sustainability will be a tall order as long as the industry continues promoting a model of
overconsumption and planned or implied obsolescence by urging you to buy a newer, faster system
every two years or so," added Mr. MacKerron.
©
SRI World Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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