Electronic Industry

Menu:

Links

Apple

Products: Laptop computers; desktop computers; IPOD's and accessories; servers
Unique Programs:
Purchase any qualifying Apple computer or monitor and receive free recycling of your old computer and monitor — regardless of manufacturer.
Apple recycled 13 million pounds of e-waste in 2006, which is equal to 9.5% of the weight of all products Apple sold seven years earlier.
In mid-2006, Apple became the first company in the computer industry to completely eliminate CRTs.
Apple phased out hexavalent chromium and the brominated flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) several years ago through design innovations and the use of higher quality metals and plastics.
Apple plans to completely eliminate the use of arsenic in all of its displays by the end of 2008.
Apple plans to completely eliminate the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in its products by the end of 2008.

Hewlett Packard (HP)

Products: Laptop computers; desktop computers; printers; scanners; monitors; ink, toner, and paper; accessories and parts
Unique Programs:
In 2008, HP became the first company to be approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to use the SmartWay logo. Smartway is a voluntary partnership between the U.S. EPA and the freight industry. It is designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions produced during the shipping process by using 100% SmartWay compliant carriers.
In September 2009, HP met its goal of reducing combined energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions of HP operations and products to 25% below 2005 levels by 2010, over a year early. The company now aims to reduce energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions of all their products to 40% below 2005 levels by the end of 2011.
By using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WARM tool, HP estimated that they avoided 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions in 2008 through recycling activities.
HP provides recent graduates and entrepreneurs in under-served communities with training and support to develop important business and IT skills through two programs: the Graduate Entrepreneurship Training through IT (GET-IT) and the HP Entrepreneurship Learning Program (HELP). Over 20,000 micro-enterprisers have benefited from the HELP program, with over 54% of micro-enterprises reporting significant improvements to their business and hundreds of new jobs created.
HP awards grants to secondary schools districts, colleges, and universities in many different regions around the world to promote innovation in education. In the U.S., each grant is valued at more than $270,000 in HP technology, cash, and professional development.
Some business groups within HP have reduced travel by 43% through the use of HP Halo Telepresence and Video Conferencing, while other business teams have completely eliminated travel. The average HP group using Halo to avoid the use of car and air travel is equivalent to saving 25,400 gallons of gasoline from being burned per year (as calculated by EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator).
HP offers recycling services in over 50 countries, regions, and territories worldwide.
The organization reduced their global operations and product energy use by 19% from 2005 to 2007.
Some HP products now contain a label called "Eco Highlights," providing information on environmental attributes such as energy efficiency, packaging and recycling information.
In 2007, HP recycled over 1 billion pounds of products and materials.
HP is ranked #1 in the Climate Counts Scorecard for the Electronics Sector. Climate Counts uses a 100 point scale and 22 criteria which are used to recognize a company’s measurements, goals, and results for reducing their impact on global warming.

Sony

Products:
Unique Programs:
Thirteen years after Sony's establishment, the Sony Fund for Education was founded to support primary schools that pursue excellence in science education. The company also supports 5 other foundations across the globe.
During fiscal 2004, the Sony Group spent approximately 3.4 billion yen (about 28.5 million USD) on social contribution activities. Half of the expenditures was spent on education, followed by arts/culture and health/welfare.
Sony Corporation jointly sponsors the QRIO Science Program with the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ). The program is designed to stimulate children's curiosity about science and technology and enhance their creativity.
"Someone Needs You" is an in-house volunteer program designed to enhance community relationships. Every year, approximately 15,000 Sony Group employees from over 20 countries participate in a variety of volunteer activities.
The company has set a goal to achieve a waste reuse/recycle rate of 95%. By 2004, the rate was 88% for global sites and 98% for Japanese sites.
The plastic used inside Sony's MHC-GNZ7D and MHC-GNX80 mini hi-fi stereo systems is made from 100% recycled polystyrene.
Labels and index cards for disks are made from 100% recycled paper and printed using volatile organic compound (VOC)-free vegetable oil-based ink.
In 2004, Sony became the first company in the world to commercialize mercury-free silver oxide batteries, launching 10 models that represent approximately 80% of its total output of silver oxide batteries.
In 2004, they became the first company in the world to develop a new biobased plastic with flame-retardant properties and to release a DVD player made with this plastic.

Xerox

Products: Printers; copiers; multifunction machines; supplies; imaging products

Unique Programs:
97% of Xerox products are certified by Energy Star and Canada's Environmental Choice EcoLogo.
1.5 billion pounds of waste have been diverted from landfills since 1991 through equipment end-of-life strategies.
100% of Xerox-designed product models introduced since 2003 have been developed with re-manufacturing in mind.
The company obtained ISO 14001 certification for global manufacturing sites in 1997.
Xerox's research, manufacturing, and service operations have environmental, health, and safety audits performed at least once every three years.
In 1999, Xerox banned the use of targeted flame retardants in all products and they currently do not use any ozone-depleting substances in manufacturing. The company is also working to eliminate lead and mercury in new products.
Xerox remanufactures black ink toner waste which it collects from its customers through the Xerox Waste Toner Return program. The company hopes also to discover a way to do the same with its color toner. Additionally, Xerox recycles the containers in which the toner is transported.
More than 75% of Xerox's paper suppliers have committed to sustainable forestry practices.
Xerox is working on the development of a number of new products that will contribute to the transition to sustainability, such as reusable electronic paper, solid ink color printers, and emulsion aggregation toners.
A Xerox paper product offered in Europe called "Planet Light" is ten grams per square meter lighter than regular paper, so fiber demand is lessened. Planet Light functions just as well as ordinary paper.
Over 95% of Xerox’s paper is produced without chlorine or by elemental chlorine-free de-inking and bleaching techniques.
All equipment and software designed by Xerox have paper-efficiency options.
Imaging Supplies, the division of Xerox which requires the most chemical usage, has cut air emissions by 91% in the past 15 years.
All parts and raw materials provided to Xerox by its suppliers are free of materials that deplete ozone and all packaging of these is free of heavy metals.
Xerox products incorporate technology which allows it to be in "power-saver mode" when not in use. This is important as many offices leave their machines on overnight.
The designers of Xerox products plan for end-of-life circumstances of their products, making them easily disassembled and able to be reused or recycled. Each part is coded, so that whoever is responsible for handling the product at the end of its useful life will have all necessary information on how to take it apart correctly. The result has been Xerox’s ability to reuse 70-90% of the old machine in the manufacturing of new machines.
Some Xerox plants take advantage of "free cooling" of the water used in manufacturing by letting it flow through chilled pipes located outside during cold times of the year. (The alternative is to use industrial air conditioners.)
Through its Social Service Leave program, The Xerox Foundation lets workers take community service sabbaticals, during which they are compensated.
Instead of using harsh chemical solvents to clean its equipment, Xerox has adopted a CO2 pellet blasting method which produces no hazardous waste and actually gets the job done faster.

Funded by the Steelcase Foundation of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Header photo courtesy of Bigfoto
Site by CMC/GrandNet