I recently purchased a notebook from Dell and was very pleased to see their progress in regards to recycling and packaging.
When I was running through the ordering process, the last option on the form was for free recycling. I could call Dell Recycling to arrange a pick-up within 4 weeks of the invoice date and they would recycle my old PC in what they stated would be an environmentally friendly way.
The option didn’t give much information past that, but I noticed a few articles like this one around the place where Dell is partnering with community groups to create free computer recycling programs that create local jobs and keep unwanted computers and other electronic equipment out of local landfills.
That was reassuring as I’ve been a little wary of tech companies’ recycling programs after the attention some received when it was discovered they were simply shipping the equipment to developing countries. Impoverished people have been working in rather nasty, unsafe and certainly environmentally unfriendly conditions to strip computer components of valuable materials – and in the process poisoning themselves, the land, water and air – and for a pittance at that.
The other big improvement I noticed about my purchase compared to the Dell I bought a few years ago was the packaging – the lack of it.
All I received was a reasonably sized box, with another box inside; a couple of light foam inserts to cushion the notebook, lightweight CD sleeves mainly made of paper and a couple of manuals (plus the computer, cabling and software of course). It was far less than the last Dell I bought that arrived in a mountain of plastic, paper, foam and advertising material.
It’s not just an environmentally sound strategy to reduce packaging, it saves companies money in freight and materials too; just another example of going green simply being good business. The notebook was just as secure and arrived in excellent condition; Dell had just given the design of the packaging more thought and had discovered that less can be more.
Kudos to Dell on their efforts!