Dell: Out of the Box

05 May 2008 Once vilified by activist groups for battling recycling and clean production initiatives, Dell is now trying to position itself as a green leader in the computer industry. The company, which racked up $56 billion in sales in 2006, is the only computer maker that provides free recycling services not only for Dell products, but for computer electronics manufactured by competitors as well. In 2006, Dell recycled more than 78 million pounds of equipment worldwide, a 93 percent increase over 2005.

Last year, Dell also launched several initiatives, including a program aimed at making company operations carbon neutral by 2008, as well as Plant a Tree for Me, which encourages customers to offset the carbon impact of their purchases, and Plant a Forest for Me, geared toward businesses. They have also recently launched a blog called ReGeneration to provide green tips and a method for community feedback.

Good works notwithstanding, Dell still has a long way to go before it makes a dent in reducing the environmental damage generated by the 11.3 million personal computers the company sold in 2007. For example, although watchdog groups commend Dell for setting timelines to substitute toxic materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), the company currently has no products free of PVC and BFRs available on the market. "Dell is a leader in global take back policies—they are not a leader in putting green products on the market," said Robin Schneider, vice chair of the Electronics Take Back Coalition.

Kyoto Planet spoke with Mark Newton, Dell’s Environmental Policy Manager, about getting the chemicals out, energy efficiency, and how to keep some of the most environmentally damaging products in the planet out of the waste stream.

Kyoto Planet: From a chemical content standpoint, what steps is Dell taking to green the company’s product line?

Dell: We are committed to providing products that take into account a precautionary approach to chemicals management. If there are some substances that aren’t regulated but are known to be similar to substances that are fairly well characterized, then a responsible company should take steps to know where those substances may be in their products and if viable and safer alternatives exist move toward environmentally preferred solutions.