Trucost estimates an environmental cost savings to society of $700 million per year if the entire computer manufacturing industry switched to closed-loop recycled plastic.
That’s just one reason we’re honored that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) recently recognized our work pioneering a circular economy for IT that designs waste out of our products and packaging.
The Texas Environmental Excellence Award spotlights our creation of the industry’s first “closed-loop” plastics supply chain, a collaboration with Goodwill Industries and our environmental partners at Wistron GreenTech to collect plastics from used electronics and recycle them into new Dell products, creating a continuous “loop” of material reuse.
“Over the years, Dell’s tight relationships with original design manufacturers (ODMs) have been one of its biggest advantages – allowing it to be more nimble and, often, faster at getting new technology to market than its rivals,” noted Heather Clancy when writing for Forbes about this project.
“It turns out those relationships could prove equally strategic moving forward as the high-tech industry seeks ways to reuse electronic waste (e-wasted) collected through technology take-back and recycling programs — closing the loop on materials sourced throughout its supply chain,” she added.
Since 2014, this program has recycled 6.12 million pounds of e-waste plastics back into 48 new Dell products. You can learn more about the program in the below video.
Dell is honored and proud to receive this recognition. It validates hard work across many teams inside the company pushing the limits to find better ways to do business. Collaborations like this benefit Dell, but impact the broader industry and global environment. We’re creating value in what is traditionally considered waste, and reducing the industry’s need for virgin plastics.
We hope our efforts inspire copycats across our industry and others, and we welcome collaborators who can help us grow and build on what we’ve created for even broader benefit. If you would like to get involved or have ideas around the circular economy, message us via twitter @Dell4Good #Legacyofgood. Who knows, the next big idea might be sitting out there ready to be found.