The world produces 50 million tons of electronic waste a year , and less than 20 % of it is formally recycled . |
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ZERO WASTE Just a few of the 10,300 tonnes of Original HP and Samsung toner cartridges HP recycled in 2021 , above ; an employee in California disassembling HP hardware for recycling , right . |
I n a traditional linear economy , products are manufactured from resources extracted from the earth , used by consumers , and then discarded as waste . This has played a large role in the climate crisis we currently face . Today HP has made a transformative commitment to advancing the circular economy in order to meet our climate action goals and help combat the global climate crisis . This innovative approach to business is not only possible and necessary , it ’ s also a winning strategy for our company , our customers , and the planet .
Why circularity is important in its own right : Unlike recycling , which turns waste into something useful again , circularity is an approach to the product life cycle that avoids waste altogether . Just like in nature , where nutrients cycle perpetually , in the circular economy , products and their components can be infinitely reused
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and repurposed . As the world ’ s population continues to grow , so will the demand for raw materials . Extraction and production of materials account for 45 % of CO₂ emissions . Meanwhile , the world produces 50 million tons of electronic waste a year , and less than 20 % of it is formally recycled . Circularity represents an opportunity to mitigate climate change while recovering a tremendous amount of material and preventing the unnecessary destruction of ecosystems .
HP ’ s circular approach to products : HP is committed to reaching 75 % circularity for products and packaging by 2030 .
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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF HP INC . |
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HP / INNOVATION / SUMMER 2022 8 |