Dell and the Environment
From Lauraibm
Contents
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MI Summary
Dell runs a competent recycling program offering its recycling facilities not only for Dell equipment but also to any make or model of computer. Customers have the option of disposing of old computers via donation or recycling.
Dell shows a commitment to minimising its industrial impact on the earth’s climate and engages in programmes such as Energy Smart which involves the design of energy efficient products, and Green Power which involves purchasing a portion of electricity from renewable energy sources.
A precautionary approach is taken when selecting substances used in the design for products. Environmentally sensitive substances are proactively eliminated from products where viable alternatives are available, and products are designed in a manner which allows them to be easily recycled.
Dell has engaged in partnership with The Conservation Fund (the nations top-rated environmental non profit organisation) and Carbonfund.org to launch the “Plant a Tree for Me” program. This involves corporations measuring and then offsetting their carbon emissions through simply planting trees.
Overall, Dell can be seen to be taking a proactive stance with regards to environmental issues and this is enabling them to work towards their intention of becoming “the greenest” tech company.
Coverage in the Press
- Dell Aims for Energy Star 4.0 Consumer Desktop (31-Oct-07)
- Dell Announces Green Computing Competition (18-Oct-07)
- Dell Offers SMEs Tips for Greening IT Practices (15-Oct-07)
- Dell Launches New Asset Recovery and Recycling Program For Small Businesses (20-Sep-07)
- Dell's Green Goal for 2008 (27-Sep-07)
- Ask, Dell Partner on Environment (8-Aug-07)
- There is one thing that might help the green cause (9-Aug-07)
- Green Desktops from Dell (29-Aug-07)
What the Vendor says about itself
Dell Recycling offers computer owners a variety of environmentally sound, convenient and affordable options for unwanted computers - and the equipment does not have to be from Dell. Dell Recycling accepts any make or model of computer, notebook computer, monitor, printer or peripheral device.
Donate
Dell provides consumers a donation option for old computers. When you are ready for a new system there are neighbors in your community who could make use of your old one. Through Dell Recycling, consumers can donate their computers to the National Cristina Foundation to help disabled and economically disadvantaged children and adults in your own community. The foundation will pick up your computer at your door and put it to good use in your community.
Recycle
If recycling your computer is your preference, Dell offers an environmentally friendly method to dispose of outdated computer equipment that no longer has useful life. Dell is happy to accept any brand of computer, keyboard, mouse, monitor or printer. And Dell will pick it up at your home.
Institutional Customers
Dell has provided asset recovery and system recycling services to business customers since 1991, recycling millions of units since that time. For information on Dell's services for business customers, visit Asset Recovery Services.
Legislative and Regulatory Compliance
Dell is dedicated to meeting the requirements of the European Union's WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive and is engaged in the development of country-specific implementation schemes to comply with the national WEEE laws. The directive aims to reduce the waste arising from electrical and electronic equipment, and improve the environmental performance of everything involved in the life cycle of electrical and electronic equipment.
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Dell's Chemical Use Policy
Dell's vision is to avoid the use of substances in its products that could seriously harm the environment or human health and to ensure that we act responsibly and with caution.
To act responsibly , Dell believes that if reasonable scientific grounds indicate a substance (or group of substances) could pose significant environmental or human health risks, even if the full extent of harm has not yet been definitively established, precautionary measures should be taken to avoid use of the substance(s) in products unless there is convincing evidence that the risks are small and are outweighed by the benefits. Dell considers these to be "substances of concern."
Dell identifies substances of concern with consideration for legal requirements, international treaties and conventions, specific market demands, and by the following criteria:
- Substances with hazardous properties that are a known threat to human health or the environment;
- Substances with hazardous properties that show strong indications of significant risks to human health or the environment;
- Substances with hazardous properties that are known to biopersist and bioaccumulate in humans or the environment.
To enforce the company's precautionary measures, Dell strives to eliminate substances of concern in its products by:
- Maintaining a Banned and Restricted Substance Program,
- Choosing designs and materials that avoid the use of substances of concern,
- Prohibiting supplier use of these substances contractually, and
- Substitution of viable alternate substances.
If alternatives are not yet viable, Dell works with its industry partners to promote industry standards and the development of reliable, environmentally sound, and economically scalable technical solutions.
To demonstrate our commitment , Dell is committed to eliminate in our new products all remaining uses of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) by 2009, as acceptable alternatives are identified that will not compromise product performance and will lower product health and environmental impacts. We will review a phase out plan yearly or when required and evaluate available technical, environmental and scalable solutions. Dell is open to discuss these plans and is committed to continuously improve the environmental quality of our products.
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Energy Efficiency
Dell is committed to minimizing its industrial impact on the earth’s climate. Through programs like Energy Smart, we are designing energy efficient products that are designed to reduce power requirements, which in turn, help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
We have worked to minimize climate impacts from Dell facilities by purchasing a portion of our electricity needs from renewable energy sources, like the Green Power program at our Austin, Texas facility. We are also a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Smartway program, which aims to minimize emissions from shipping and logistics operations.
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Materials Use
A Precautionary Approach to Materials Selection
Some materials, such as heavy metals and certain halogenated flame retardants can pose risks to the environment if they're not managed properly during both manufacturing and recycling. That's why Dell uses a precautionary approach when selecting substances used to design our products. We proactively eliminate environmentally-sensitive substances from our products wherever viable alternatives are available, and we design products that are easily recyclable.
Paper and Forestry
Dell continually increases our use of recycled-content paper, as well as paper sources from Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper, as outlined in our Forest Products Stewardship Model. By 2006, Dell marketing publications were using an average of 50 percent recycled paper content globally. Dell estimates the increased recycled content paper eliminates the use of nearly 35,000 tons of virgin fiber paper per year -- the equivalent of saving more than 250,000 trees.
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Plant a Tree For Me
Climate change is among the biggest environmental issues this century. While most agree that we must do something, the challenge can appear to be too great, too complicated for any one of us to make a difference…until now.
Dell, in partnership with The Conservation Fund and Carbonfund.org, has launched ‘Plant a Tree for Me,’ a program that makes it easy and affordable for individuals, corporations or even entire communities to “go zero” by measuring and then offsetting their carbon emissions associated with the electricity generated to power an extended portfolio of IT products – simply by planting trees. Additionally, participants can offset the estimated total one-year carbon impact of an average American citizen by donating $99 to the program.
Dell administers the collection of the donation and remits it to our partners. Our partners will use 100 percent of the donated funds to facilitate the planting of trees.
The Conservation Fund is the nation’s top-rated environmental non-profit organization by the American Institute of Philanthropy, and its climate-change programs, including Go ZeroSM, have resulted in the planting of more than nine million trees that will trap more than 13.5 million tons of CO2. Since 1985, the Fund and its partners, dedicated to tangible, on-the-ground results, have protected more than 5.5 million acres of our nation’s outdoor heritage – our wildlife habitat and watersheds, working landscapes and community open-space.
Carbonfund.org is a non-profit organization that educates the public about the dangers of climate change and makes it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses and organizations to reduce their climate impact.
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Products
It's our goal to provide the most energy-efficient technology in our industry, and we're focused on designs that will take us there.
Desktops
Design and Use
Dell desktop systems are designed to avoid the use of environmentally-sensitive materials and deliver the most performance per watt, with our Energy Smart technology design. Our latest OptiPlex models consume up to 70 percent less power than previous generations.
Recycling
We’re working hard to make it as easy to recycle as it is to buy. Consumers can recycle a Dell-branded computer, including Dimension™ desktops, at any time for no-charge. We also offer Asset Recovery Services to help business customers manage the end-of-life disposal of their Optiplex desktops.
Notebooks
Design and Use
Dell's notebook products are designed to meet our stringent material use guidelines which avoid the use of environmentally-sensitive materials. Maximizing the battery life on notebooks has helped drive energy-efficiency design changes across our product lines.
In addition, our external power supplies are designed to meet the latest efficiency standards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Recycling and Donation
Our goal is to make product recycling and donation as easy as buying. Dell will recycle any Dell-branded notebook at any time for no charge. We also offer donation options for working, used computers in several Dell markets.
For corporate customers, Dell can help either remarket used IT assets on behalf of a customer, or ensure they are responsibly recycled.
Servers
Design and Use
Dell servers are designed to avoid the use of environmentally-sensitive materials and deliver the most performance per watt, with our Energy Smart technology design. Energy Smart products not only help save our customers operating costs, they also help to avoid carbon dioxide emissions.
Packaging
Dell can ship multiple server products in one multipack shipment which significantly reduces the amount of packaging material and will save customers disposal and recycling costs.
Recycling
Dell's Asset Recovery Services are available to help customers responsibly dispose of server products when they are no longer needed.
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Dell: The Greenest Computer Co?
Tech Firms Boost Recycling, Dial Down Energy Use And Toxic Ingredients
Dell has said it wants to be the greenest technology company. Apple is angling for a little green cred. IBM, Panasonic, Sun Microsystems: Same story.
Whether it was because they got eco-religion or got burned by bad publicity, technology companies are seeing the light and walking toward it.
Electronics are filled with potentially noxious elements — mercury, lead, polyvinyl chloride — and Moore’s Law says most computers are outdated within a year or two, making high tech products in a disposable class by themselves. How to keep the toxic ingredients from leaching into the air and water, and recycle those parts that can be salvaged has been an ongoing problem, one a range of companies is now aiming to solve.
To that end, Dell has scheduled an announcement Thursday about its “environmentally-responsible product recovery and recycling program” and the results of a survey detailing just what happens to its computers at the end of their lives. In June it announced its intention to become “the greenest” tech company.
That’s a distinction that many will vie for — and that competition is as important as the drive toward the next faster microchip.
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Sources:
- 6. Products
