Dell Successfully Recycles 2 Billion Pounds of E-Waste

Dell, one of the leading manufacturers of computers in the world, just announced their recycling of around 2 billion pounds e-waste two years earlier than scheduled. The milestone is part of the company’s Dell 2020 Legacy of Good Plan whose goal is to avoid disposing electronic trash in landfills.

Dell originally composed their 2020 Legacy of Good Plan in 2013. It set 20 goals for the company to achieve, all for the betterment of the environment, communities, and people. Aside from recycling e-waste, the plan’s other goals include:

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
Reduction of water use in water-stressed regions
Development of sustainable initiatives in Dell-operated buildings
Using sustainable materials in product packaging
Team member engagement in community service
Helping underserved communities using Dell technology

“Our Legacy of Good Plan captures this idea and spells out our commitment to put our technology and expertise to work where they can do the most good for people and the planet.”

~ Dell

Recycling E-Waste

The effort to recycle the company’s e-waste, which includes consumer plastics, closed-type electronic plastics, marine plastics, and carbon fiber wastes to name a few, began in 2008.

Kefetew Selassie, Dell’s Vice President of Engineering, said that they expect to adopt 100 million pounds of recycled materials in Dell product lines before the 2019 Earth Day on April 22nd.

The recycled materials have reportedly been applied to desktops, monitors, servers, and notebooks, making Dell the first brand to reuse gold from motherboards. The company also plans to launch notebook models composed of 100 percent recycled carbon fiber.

Dell is also collaborating with Indian startup Chakr Innovation to help turn the gas emitted by diesel exhausts into printing inks. At the moment, Dell was able to use recycled inks in 150,000 of its packaging boxes.

As of 2016, the United Nations reported that we have already generated 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste. Out of this figure, only 20 percent were recycled. The U.N. further said that by 2021, Earth’s accumulated electronic trash would reach 52.2 million metric tons.

Unfortunately, this means Dell and other electronic companies should step up their game to help save the planet.