Greenpeace asks HP to launch takeback policy

After successfully forcing computer manufacturer Wipro to start an e-waste management policy, global environmental NGO Greenpeace is all set to take computer hardware brand HP into task.

Greenpeace activists have launched a campaign against HP, asking the company to launch a

proper ‘takeback’ service for individual customers and start publicly lobbying for e-waste legislation in India. Painting their bodies with the message — Lobby For Law — the activists staged a demonstration before HP’s corporate office in Bangalore.

According to a recent Greenpeace study, HP’s efforts on making available a takeback service for obsolete PCs in India are not adequate.

The report says that tho-ugh HP provides all its customers in the US, Europe and other developed nations with proper takeback service, it covers only the corporate and big institutional customers in India. Even the corporate customers in India are not even getting a proper takeback service.

“HP does not want an e-waste legislation embracing Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR) in India. This is the reason why the company is taking so much time to start a pan-India takeback service for its customers,” said Abhishek Pratap, Greenpeace toxics campaigner.

HP is the leading computer hardware brand in India with a market share of about 21 per cent. In the notebook market in India, the company enjoys a share of 37 per cent. Pratap said, being the market leader in India, it is imperative for the company to lead the pack by calling for a legislation and lobbying within the electronics sector, and the government to make e-waste legislation in India a reality.

According to Greenpeace, since takeback services involve paying for the recycling of obsolete PCs by the respective PC vendors, this will encourage vendors to phase out the use of toxic substances in their products at the design stage.

Meanwhile, HP said in a statement that the company supports the concept of IPR in e-waste legislation, which will make producers responsible for recycling their own products once they have been collected.

The company also said that though its Planet Partner Programme applies only to enterprise customers in India, during the final phase of the programme expected in 2009, the company is planning to include the individual customer as well.

HP’s Planet Partners Programme aims at taking back the end-of-life HP and non-HP computing equipment from enterprise customers and recycle them in a socially and environmentally-responsible manner.