Every year, an alarming 53.6 million tons of electronics become obsolete and are discarded as e-waste. Despite the abundance of initiatives promoting the reuse and recycling of these items, only 18% of electronic waste is recycled globally. But one company is committed to changing that: Dell. By 2030, this technology giant hopes to have its customers recycle as many materials as they purchase — preferably through reuse and repair initiatives.
Dell has already been devoted to its circular business model, where products are given longer lives by making them easy to repair and refurbish. Further, when products are at the end of their life, the company harvests the components for reuse and recycles anything left. As Dell is striving for a waste-free world, it is encouraging customers to send in any unused and ancient technology to be recycled for free. Since 2007, Dell has recycled over 2.6 billion pounds of used electronics.
This year, the company laid out ambitious goals, like sourcing 100% of packaging from reused or recycled/renewable material and creating products from recycled, renewable, or reduced carbon emissions material. Plus, Dell wants to source 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2040, and be entirely carbon neutral by 2050. To measure Dell’s goals results and track the company’s progress, audit teams are examining their results annually.
At the helm of this effort is Chairman and CEO Michael Dell, who is determined to make a positive impact for the planet and for its people, by maximizing human creativity and technological innovation. Specifically, Dell is making strides by using uniform screws instead of adhesives, to make repairs easier for both customers and technicians. With Dell’s augmented reality assistant, users can even make their own repairs.
Dell also partners with outside companies, like the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Circular Electronics Partnership, to expand their reach and come up with a circular roadmap for the future. As Dell works to make the world a better place and promote sustainability, individuals can do their part too by bringing their old bits of gear to be recycled.
