HP to recycle on a large scale

HP has taken a step in the 'green' direction, making over a billion ink cartridges out of recycled plastic, the company has said.

The firm's latest report on waste reduction, material reuse and recycling offers an update on HP's activities to contribute to the welfare of the natural environment.

The company has developed facilities that use recycled plastics, such as ink cartridges and plastic water bottles, in HP's Original ink cartridges, reducing carbon footprints by an estimated 22% and bringing down total water use by 69% in comparison with virgin plastics used for one billion Original HP ink cartridges.

HP has set itself a target to use an aggregate of 100 million pounds of recycled plastic in its printing products by next year.

The firm and its customers have saved 1.3 billion plastic bottles and 160 million HP ink cartridges from being discarded and have instead sent them for recycling.

HP ink cartridges that have been made out of recycled plastic in 2010 and those that will be made in the future are expected to reduce the total water usage in plastics manufacturing by as much as 89%.

This also accounts for a carbon footprint that is estimated to be 33% lower than the virgin plastic used in Original HP ink cartridges, inclusive of collection, transporting and processing of used bottles and cartridges.

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