December 18, 2006

Dell Faces Recycling Criticism

Last week, Dell announced that it had met a timetable set in June to provide free recycling of any Dell-branded product for consumers worldwide as part of its global recycling policy.

But it looks like Dell is dropping the ball when it comes to recycling packaging, at least in the UK.

One IT manager claims that Dell’s Energy Smart 1950 and 2950 servers (read about them here) may boast a more energy efficient Intel processor and new intelligent cooling technology, but the packaging used to deliver Dell’s servers are “a far cry from recyclable,” Green Business News reports.

The writer says that the polystyrene in Dell’s packaging are stamped “recycle,” even though no one in the UK will recycle them.

A spokesman for Dell accepted that this was a valid point but insisted that Dell was committed to limiting the environmental impacts of its packaging.

The criticism highlights the risks a company faces when it embraces an environmentally sustainable business model. It can improve its environmental impact in many areas, but that often increases the attention on those areas of operations where improvements can still be made.

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