HP, based in Palo Alto, Calif., has announced its goal to eliminate the brominated flame retardant (BFR) tetrabromobisphenol A from the external case parts of all new HP brand products introduced after Dec. 31, 2006.
HP reports that it eliminated more than 95 percent of the BFRs used in the external case parts of its products more than 10 years ago, including PBDE and PBB, which were subsequently among the substances restricted by the EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive. During the same timeframe, the company also eliminated polyvinyl chloride from its products’ external case parts.
In keeping with the company's commitment to environmental and social responsibility, HP says it is working to ensure the safe production, operation and disposal of its IT products through environmental design and innovation. The company's "Design for Environment" initiative has resulted in the following recent achievements:
· Elimination of mercury in most of HP's all-in-one products by replacing mercury-containing scanner lamps with a new contact imaging technology lamp, which also makes the products easier to recycle.
· Shipment of of HP's first products compliant with the EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive earlier this year.
· Recognition for the HP Deskjet 6540 and 3740 printers as the 2004 Products of the Year in the Best Green Computing Product category for minimal environmental impact and recycling by analog Zone.
HP’s product environmental strategy focuses on materials innovation. “By integrating environmental considerations into the design process, HP is able to reduce materials costs, decrease a product's negative environmental impact, meet customer demands for smaller and more efficient products, and reduce recycling and disposal costs—ultimately reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills,” the company states in a press release.
HP has had its Design for Environment program in place for more than 20 years. The program's "Product Stewards," experts on designing for the environment, are integrated into product design and research and development teams to identify, prioritize and recommend environmental design innovations to make products easier to disassemble and to recycle.
Additional HP Design for Environment goals include:
· Eliminating the remaining uses of BFRs and PVCs in HP brand products as acceptable alternatives are identified that will not compromise product performance or present health and environmental risks;
· Exceeding compliance obligations by meeting the requirements of the EU's RoHS directive on a worldwide basis;
· Eliminating lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium, as defined in the EU's RoHS directive, in 50 percent of HP electronic products sold worldwide six months ahead of the July 2006 deadline of the EU RoHS directive.