Dell Announces Major Recycling Milestone of 2 Billion Pounds of E-Waste

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Texas-headquartered multinational computer technology company Dell has achieved an important milestone by recycling 2 billion pounds of electronic waste. The company hit the target two years ahead of schedule.

The Dell 2020 Legacy of Good Plan had set 2020 as the deadline to cross 2 million pounds. It also calls for 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from Dell facilities and logistics operations and 90% diversion of waste generated in Dell-operated buildings. In addition, it aims to ensure that 100% of product packaging is sourced from sustainable materials. By 2020, Dell targets to have 100% of its packaging either recyclable or compostable.

Kefetew Salassie, VP of client-side engineering at Dell stated that the company has utilized recycled electronics in all aspects of its business including desktops, servers, monitors and notebooks. Although recycling of 2 billion pounds of used electronics is still a drop in the ocean when compared with the huge volume of e-waste generated across the world, it demonstrates the company’s intend to reduce environmental impacts caused by unsafe disposal and treatment of toxic e-waste, he added.

The company had recently entered into joint-venture deal with Indian startup Chakr Innovation in a project that would recycle the gas emitted from diesel generators and turn it into ink for printers. The project uses a device that converts particulate matter from diesel gensets into non-toxic ink that can be used for a wide variety of applications including sketching, textile and paper printing.

Dell plans to use 100 million pounds of recycled materials before this coming Earth Day.