HP Boosts Recycling Rate by 17 Percent in 2005, Advances on Recycling Goal of 1 Billion Pounds

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 21, 2005, HP today announced it has recycled approximately 140 million pounds (63.5 million kilograms) of hardware and HP print cartridges globally in its just ended fiscal year - an increase of 17 percent over the previous year, and the equivalent weight of 280 jumbo airliners.

In addition, HP collected more than 2.5 million units - more than 50 million pounds (22.6 million kilograms) of hardware - to be refurbished for resale or donated.(1)

To date, HP has recycled more than 750 million pounds (340 million kilograms) of hardware and HP print cartridges globally, well on the way to meeting its goal to recycle 1 billion cumulative pounds (453.5 million kilograms) by the end of 2007.

“HP’s commitment to environmental responsibility includes our efforts to limit the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycles,” said David Lear, vice president, Corporate, Social and Environmental Responsibility, HP. “One way we achieve this is through developing and investing in product return and recycling programs and technologies globally, giving our customers choices and control over how their products are managed at end of life.”

HP intends to reach its global recycling goal by expanding its product return and recycling program to more customers and creating new ways for customers to return and recycle used or unwanted electronic equipment and HP print cartridges in a convenient and environmentally responsible manner. New recycling initiatives launched in 2005 include:

* HP began a free and convenient hardware recycling service for commercial and enterprise customers in European Union countries who purchase replacement HP products, in advance of the implementation of the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. A similar offer exists for HP commercial customers in the Asia Pacific region.


* To make recycling more convenient and affordable in the United States, HP partnered with retailers to offer free recycling at drop-off events throughout the year in San Diego and Roseville, Calif., Minneapolis, Minn., and Bentonville, Ark. HP offered similar initiatives in Germany and Australia.


* In China, HP initiated a first of its kind public-private sector partnership with Global Village of Beijing, the Jane Goodall Institute, and Roots and Shoots Shanghai and Beijing to increase awareness of print cartridge recycling among consumers and to provide residents of Beijing and Shanghai with a convenient and easy way to return HP print cartridges for free and environmentally responsible recycling.


Addressing electronic waste is one of HP’s global citizenship priorities. As part of this effort, HP opened its first recycling facility in Roseville, Calif., in 1997, becoming the only major computer manufacturer to operate its own recycling facility. A second HP facility has since been opened in LaVergne, Tenn. Outside the United States, HP works with more than 10 recycling vendors across Europe, and regional and local recycling vendors throughout Asia Pacific.

HP has implemented global recycling standards that ensure HP vendors manage product recycling responsibly and to set a high expectation regarding how vendors should manage their workforces. HP regularly monitors and reviews all of its recycling operations to ensure the highest standards of responsible recycling are maintained.

HP’s recycling program operates globally in more than 36 countries, regions and territories and seeks to reduce the environmental impact of IT products, minimize waste going to landfills and help customers conveniently discard products in an environmentally sound fashion. Plastics and metals recovered from products recycled by HP have been used to make a range of new products, including auto body parts, clothes hangers, plastic toys, fence posts, serving trays and roof tiles.

In addition to recycling, HP offers a variety of product end-of-life management services including donation, trade-in, asset recovery and leasing. More information, including HP’s 2005 Global Citizenship Report, is available at http://www.hp.com/environment.

About HP

HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended Oct. 31, 2005, HP revenue totaled $86.7 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

(1) HP’s donation service is only available in the United States.

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