HP has clarified its global corporate policy on banning exports of nonworking electronics to developing countries, in support of efforts to prevent the unacceptable and unauthorized dumping of electronic waste (e-waste).
The requirements have now been updated to include the following:
- HP does not permit electronic waste to be exported from developed (member) countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU) to developing (non-OECD/EU) countries, either directly or through intermediaries.
HP’s e-waste export policy contains the company’s commitment to responsibly dispose of all e-waste generated by HP’s global operations and take-back programs. HP’s vendor requirements for hardware reuse and recycling previously stated:
- No prison or child labor will be used;
- Every reasonable effort will be made to control all electronic waste and prevent it from entering landfills or incinerators; and
- All exports and imports of electronic waste handled by HP and its authorized vendors will comply with existing international waste trade agreements and legal requirements.
E-waste processed by HP and its authorized vendors is tracked and documented throughout the entire chain of custody until final disposition. HP audits its recycling, refurbishment and processing vendors annually to ensure they conform to its vendor requirements for hardware reuse and recycling and supply chain social and environmental responsibility (SER) policies.
HP defines e-waste as nonworking parts or devices; this does not include:
- Materials defined as nonhazardous under the Basel Convention;
- Working equipment and parts that are not intended for disposal or recycling, but are for donation, reuse or resale;
- Components being returned to the original equipment manufacturer that are under warranty; and
- Materials to be used in manufacturing that do not require further processing or preparation.
HP says it has a long-standing commitment to responsibly manage end-of-life products through final disposition. HP’s vendor requirements for hardware reuse and recycling, originally published in 2004, include a ban on the export of hazardous or regulated materials from developed to developing countries (sections 9.4 and 11.3, respectively). The global corporate policy affirms the company’s commitment to meet the requirements of the Basel Convention on the control of hazardous wastes and their disposal.
Additional details on HP’s leadership in product reuse and recycling are included in the company’s annual Global Citizenship Report and at www.hp.com/environment.