HP and the environment

Company information

Environment timeline

HP has a long history of environmental responsibility. See milestones from the following decades:

1950s / 1970s / 1980s / 1990s / 2000s

1950s

1957
Citizenship company objective established by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard.

1970s

1970
Glen Affleck is named to the newly created post of environment control coordinator for HP.

1971
HP starts recycling of computer print-outs and computer punch cards.

1973
HP establishes environmental policy to continually monitor its operations to reduce pollution.

1975
HP establishes Energy Conservation Guidelines to encourage employees to conserve energy and reduce costs.

1976
HP starts van pools in the California Bay Area.

1977
There are 73 carpool locators organized to assist employees in California.

1980s

1987
Computer product recycling is launched internally.

1988
HP Hazardous Waste Minimization Council is formed to develop a corporate-wide strategy.

1989
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is removed from HP’s DeskJet packaging.

1990s

1990s

1990
Chlorine bleached white boxes for the DeskJet are replaced with natural, more environmentally responsible Kraft/brown boxes.

1991
HP establishes Planet Partner LaserJet print cartridge recycling program.

1992

• HP becomes one of the first U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR partners.
• HP launches the product Design for Environment program with a focus on energy efficiency, material use and design for recycling.

1993
HP stops the use of ozone-depleting substances in its manufacturing operations worldwide, two years ahead of an international ban.

1994

• HP publishes its first annual environmental report.
• HP’s first packaging management system is created and includes environmental guidelines to decrease the environmental impact of HP’s product packaging.
• HP becomes one of the first companies worldwide to encourage telecommuting by formalizing its telecommuting policy
• HP Labs starts work on smart cooling technology for data centers.

1996

• HP eliminates the use of all ethylene glycol ethers in manufacturing.
• HP joins the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) PFC (Perfluorocarbons) Reduction Climate Partnership to reduce specified PFC emissions by 10 percent from 1995 levels by the end of 2010.

1997

• HP establishes Planet Partners inkjet print cartridge recycling program.
• HP opens its first recycling facility in Roseville, California becoming the only major computer manufacturer to operate its own recycling facility.

1998
A small group of HP employees form the HP Sustainability Network, a group interested in sustainability at work and at home.

1999

• Thirty millionth LaserJet cartridge is recycled through Planet Partners recycling program.
• HP inkjet printer is the first on the market to achieve German eco-label Blue Angel certification, three years earlier than any competitor.
• HP DeskJet 970 offers first inkjet duplexer producing two-sided printing capability and the opportunity to reduce paper consumption.

2000s

2000
HP is one of the first global businesses to achieve company-wide ISO 14001 certification of its worldwide manufacturing operations.

2001
HP opens a second U.S. recycling facility in Nashville, Tennessee.

2002

• HP publishes its first combined Social and Environmental Responsibility Report.
• HP releases its Supply Chain Code of Conduct which extends the company’s ability to manage suppliers’ conformance to social and environmental standards.

2003

• In the 12 years of Planet Partners operations, more than 176 million pounds, (80 million kilograms) of HP LaserJet and inkjet print cartridge materials have been returned and recycled worldwide.
• HP recycled plastic is included in the first hardware product replacing virgin plastic with material obtained from end-of-life HP products.
• HP announces a “smart” cooling solution for data centers that dramatically reduces energy use and saves customers money.

2004

• HP ranks 8th overall in the Accountability Rating, the first global index that evaluates how well the world’s 100 largest companies account for their impacts on society and the environment. HP is the only U.S. company ranked in the top ten.
• HP co-develops the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct to promote industry standards for socially responsible business practices across global supply chains.
• HP has recycled more than 750 million pounds (340 million kilograms) of hardware and HP print cartridges globally to date.

2005
HP begins a free hardware recycling service in the European Union in advance of the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.
HP ships its first fully EU RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant products.

2006

• HP has recycled more than 920 million pounds (417 million kilograms) of hardware and HP print cartridges globally.
• HP launches the Focused Improvement Supplier Initiative in China and the Central European Supplier Responsibility project, two capability building projects to help suppliers build management skills for social and environmental responsibility.
• HP and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announce a joint initiative to reduce HP’s greenhouse gas emissions from its worldwide operations.
• HP reduces on-site greenhouse gas emissions in 2006 by 31 percent from 2005 levels, surpassing its goal.

2007

• HP marks the 20th anniversary of its recycling programs.
• HP announces several energy efficient products and services:
• Dynamic Smart Cooling
• C-Class blade servers with embedded thermal logic
• Desktop business PCs that offer 80% efficient power supplies, these product meet the new ENERGY STAR 4.0 requirements
• Extended Halo Studios
• HP BladeSystems
• HP sets a goal to reduce its global energy use by 20 percent of 2005 levels by 2010.
• HP donates $2 million to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to advance the science and education of climate change.
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is removed from all HP packaging designs.
• HP meets the goal of recycling 1 billion pounds of electronics and HP print cartridges six months early. HP has a new goal of recovering a cumulative 2 billion pounds of electronics and print cartridges by the end of 2010, doubling the annual recovery rate.