Today I’m blogging from Washington, D.C., where Dell is accepting the National Recycling Coalition’s (NRC) ninth annual Recycling Works Award, a prominent recognition of the Dell’s longstanding, global effort to promote individual producer responsibility.
While we are honored to be receiving this award, our work is far from over. In December, I wrote about the rollout of our Global Recycling Policy that allows consumers free recycling of any Dell-branded computer equipment at any time. Dell began setting goals for product recovery in 2004 and is working toward a goal of recovering 125 million kilograms (approximately 275 million pounds) of used products by the end of 2009.
Update: If you’d like to know more about how to recycle your old PC through Dell, take a look at this StudioDell video.
At its core, our recycling program has long been about working directly with our customers to find new and easy ways to retire unwanted or unused products. Our customers’ commitment to protecting the environment through recycling has led to numerous events, partnerships and initiatives in support of these efforts. One example is RECONNECT a partnership with Goodwill Industries that lets consumers donate unwanted electronics of any brand in any condition. The program is up and running in Central and South Texas, San Diego and San Francisco, the state of Michigan, western North Carolina and the Pittsburgh area, and we are working to continue to expand to new markets.
For an external perspective on Dell’s recycling program, here is a vlog from Kate Krebs, executive director of the National Recycling Coalition:
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Despite our progress, we believe we still have a ways to go—both in showing industry the benefits of free recycling programs and achieving our long-term goals for our customers and shared Earth. However, at times like these, we’re reminded of the collective and daily impact of our customers, employees and partners.
As always, we look forward to your questions, comments and suggestions on how we can increase our environmental commitment. You can always see the overview of our policies and programs at www.dell.com/earth.