HP against plastic in 21st Century
During the last century, new technologies transformed and irreversibly changed our world. From economic to social spheres, we’ve seen a drastic rise in the adoption of novel tools across the globe. Technologies have long been considered driving forces of human development. From the invention of the telegraph in 1844 to the introduction of computers and the growth of the internet in the late 1900s, to the creation of Google in 1998, research and continuous improvement have been crucial to recent achievements.
Technology is playing a crucial role in ensuring sustainability is possible in today’s world. However, ensuring that next-generation solutions are high-performance, interoperable, and secure is critical to reducing emissions, avoiding waste, and preventing pollution. Sustainable technology or green technology considers the immediate and long-term repercussions of things on the environment. Green technology includes recycling, renewable resources, health and safety issues, and energy efficiency, among other things.
It takes commitment from the producers of technology to take responsibility for ensuring their products align with the planet’s need for green tech to reduce plastic waste, reduce energy emissions, and create a more sustainable future for all. HP strives to be a world leader, with its business strategy centring on becoming the world’s most sustainable and socially responsible technology firm.
HP leading the way in sustainability
HP has a history of being a leader in sustainability, being the first manufacturer of personal computers to create a program for recycling hardware. Within five years, they established the global HP Planet Partners program.
It is interesting to note HP’s sustainability strategy goes beyond products and services and aims to have an impact on three key areas – Planet, People, and Community.
The battle against plastic pollution
Plastic pollution is causing serious damage to our world. Plastic has invaded every part of the planet, from mountain peaks to sea bottom, littering roadsides in country regions, and contained in the stomachs of fish.
Every year, between 4 and 12 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean, enough to cover the entire coastline of the planet. That amount is expected to triple in the next 20 years. Plastic pollution in the oceans negatively impacts marine wildlife and habitats and poses threats to communities where marine species are the main food source. Plastic is a significant contributor to global warming because it is composed of polymers, which are mostly oil and natural gas.
Despite the awareness of the problem, the demand for plastic continues to grow. HP’s sustainability endeavours continue to set the standards for other PC and print manufacturers, as the need to reduce the corporation’s environmental impact grows.
HP’s goal is to prevent plastic from reaching the ocean in the first place, by recycling the plastic and turning it into new HP hardware and printing supplies through HP Planet Partners’ recycling program.
HP has recycled over 2.4 million pounds of ocean plastic into their products – the equivalent of 85 million plastic bottles – and announced a goal to eliminate 75% of single-use plastic packaging by 2025, up from 2018. They have also introduced the world’s first notebook, display, mobile workstation, and enterprise Chromebook, all of which are made from ocean plastic.
HP also endeavours to safeguard and restore critical forests all over the world. In a significant development, HP has eliminated 99% of deforestation from its paper-based product packaging.2 HP is now determined to prevent deforestation caused by non-HP paper used in its goods and printing services by 2030.
HP’s mission is to eliminate emissions across its value chain by 2040. In order to get there, HP is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its products, and already has the highest number of Gold EPEAT products. Additionally, HP is investing in green buildings and sustainable materials to create more efficient buildings and products. HP is also helping its supply chain partners reduce emissions by implementing best practices, standards, and guidelines. Suppliers that meet HP’s criteria have the opportunity to become green suppliers. In order to make this process easier, HP has published a sustainability sourcing guide that outlines key principles, categories, and indicators.
HP is committed to eliminating forced labour, promoting workers’ health and wellbeing, protecting workers’ rights, and respecting human rights. HP has teamed with Thread International and the First Mile Coalition to create recycled plastic cartridges using recycled HP ink from plastic bottles collected in Haiti. They have constructed a functioning plastics supply chain using materials collected by collectors in the country, in addition to establishing more than 600 job opportunities for the local population.
Become a partner in the battle against plastic pollution
HP’s success in achieving sustainability goals relies on building strong relationships with partners, suppliers, and communities. These commitments express HP’s dedication to safeguarding the environment and establishing long-term, environmentally friendly procedures and processes.
Virtu is proud to be a part of HP’s Amplify Partner Program and HP’s corporate responsibility efforts, which aim to ensure businesses are able to access sustainable HP products and achieve their sustainability goals. Your company can benefit from Virtu’s connection to HP’s sustainable technology and ethical products and services when you choose us as your IT services and solutions provider. Contact the team at Virtu today.