High-tech firms are working to improve their environmental profile. Hewlett-Packard will put recycled plastic into the ink cartridges for its printers. Although ink cartridges are small, there are so many of them they can be a sizable environmental problem. HP plans to use 10 million pounds of recycled plastic in its cartridges this year. And the plastic isn't just easily reused factory waste -- it's made from recycled bottles and other goods previously owned by consumers.
Intel is now the largest corporate user of renewable energy in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency said. The chip giant plans to purchase more than 1.3 million kilowatt hours in wind, solar and other types of green power each year. That's enough energy to power about 133,000 households.
IBM has launched the Eco-Patent Commons, a program to help inventors share environmental knowledge. Anyone who has patented a green process or product can contribute it to the commons. There, the patent is made available for anyone to use, for free. IBM contributed a patent for a green cleaning process used in electronics manufacturing and one for environmentally friendly packaging materials. Nokia, Sony and Pitney Bowes have also donated patents.
Dell last year pledged to become "the greenest technology company" through recycling and other initiatives. Apple, Panasonic, Sun Microsystems and Motorola also recently launched initiatives.
Environmentalists applaud the moves but say much more needs to be done. "There needs to be a major paradigm shift, and right now we're just trimming around the edges," says Sheila Davis, head of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, an advocacy group.
Source: USA Today