Dell’s Bamboo Packaging Gets ASTM Approval

Dell’s bamboo cushion packaging for notebook and laptop computers has been certified compostable by the American Society for Testing and Materials.

In November 2009, Dell started using bamboo packing for its Mini 10 and Mini 10v notebooks and recently began using the packing for Inspiron laptops.

The company said it uses bamboo because it’s strong and light. On the environmental side, Dell says that the plants’ roots help prevent soil erosion and that bamboo grows faster than hardwoods and can reach maturity in three-to-seven years.

“Developing packaging that is lightweight, strong enough to protect our products in transit, avoids the need to cut down hardwood trees and can return to the ground to sustain new plant growth – those are the kinds of long-term, sustainable solutions we want to provide for our customers,” said Oliver Campbell, Dell’s senior manager of packaging worldwide. “We’re exploring the frontier of sustainable packaging here, and we’re actively working to integrate more innovative, agricultural materials into our packaging portfolio.”

Dell is implementing a packaging plan that will result in estimated savings of more than $8 million and the elimination of approximately 20 million pounds of packaging material over the next four years.

Dell aims to cut packaging volume by 10 percent by 2012 and increase the amount of recycled content in packaging by 40 percent. The company also looks to make 75 percent of its packaging curbside recyclable.

Dell is following the lead of other companies such as Wal-Mart and Coca Cola that are working with packagers to develop recyclable packaging to meet consumer demand.