Dell now offers PC-as-a-service for business and enterprise customers, with full life-cycle management. Here, Jonathan Perry, EMEA environmental affairs, Dell, explains the firm’s responsibilities under the WEEE regulations.
One of the aims of the EU WEEE directive – and of the producer responsibility principle more widely – is to encourage the design and production of electrical and electronic equipment that takes into account, and facilitates, ‘its repair, possible upgrading, reuse disassembly and recycling’.
We’ve recently seen a big focus in the media and among consumers on single-use plastics, and the use of plastics more generally. Even though the potential lifetime of an electronics product is longer, all the effort made in the design stage is at risk if recycling is chosen over reuse or refurbishment if the consumer decides they no longer want it.
Effectively, the producer and consumer (or business user) all have a part to play in ensuring the longevity of products.
Dell was the first in the industry to ban the export of non-working electronics and e-waste to developing countries, focusing instead on recycling or reuse where possible. It has also pioneered the use of recycled-content plastics, and developed new processes with suppliers to close the recycling loop on various materials.
We are committed to putting our technology and expertise to work where it can do the most good for people and the planet. This drives much of our sourcing and design, and we strive to use and reuse materials responsibly.
This is helping to take plastic, gold and rare earth metals from e-waste and put them back into new parts for new products.
Gold from motherboards and other electronics – the most valuable parts of WEEE – is either reintegrated into new computers or sold as part of the company’s partnership with actress Nikki Reed to turn e-waste into jewellery.
Dell has several end-of-life initiatives, including recycling services for Dell and non-Dell equipment, asset resale and battery recycling – all meeting the requirements of WEEE regulations.
In addition, Dell is now offering PC-as-a-service for business and enterprise customers, with full life-cycle management – including hardware, software, services and finance – in one solution.
We are committed to putting our technology and expertise to work where it can do the most good for people and the planet. This drives much of our sourcing and design, and we strive to use and reuse materials responsibly.
It is a filter for how we partner with customers, suppliers and across communities. This spring, Dell expects to hit its 2020 goal of incorporating 100m lbs of recycled content in its products.
This was first published in the February 2019 issue of Circular magazine.
