Dell Starts Recycling Program with Free Home Pickup

Since I recall making some snarky comments in here recently about the need for a greater sense of social responsibility from tech companies (and we're currently on a theme of giving credit where due), it's only fair to point out Dell Computer's news, this time for something other than flaming laptops or incomprehensible customer support.*

On Friday (9/29), Dell began a U.S. recycling program that features free home pickup of any Dell computer or peripheral. The program was announced in June. "Unlike recycling programs offered by many other manufacturers, the Dell program does not require people to purchase a new product," CNet's story explained.

Here's the Dell site's page on the program, where you can sign up, and they further explain that if you do buy a new computer from them, they'll take anybody's boxes to recycle.

“Among tech companies, environmental advocacy group Greenpeace has singled out Dell and mobile-phone maker Nokia for their ecologically conscientious policies,” CNet said.

Excellent! I’d add that it’s about time a computer manufacturer offered this, but since this is a congratulatory announcement, let's hold off on that for now. (Apple will take your old stuff, too, but only when you bring it in and buy a new machine from them.)

These companies have made fortunes filling the land and landfills with boxes that contain a good dose of toxic substances, poisons that are seeping into the earth under the dumps they’ve been thrown upon. It only seems fair that they pick up their garbage.

CNet: "Dell's no-excuse recycling program begins"

...via the Boston Globe's Business Filter, with links to a number of related stories, notably including:

“Where computers go to die...and kill”

"30 million U.S. computers become obsolete each year and yet we have no nationally-coordinated recycling policy."

Full story from:
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/04/10/ewaste/

* - (But you should have heard me own Mum's distress and frustration at trying to understand what the Indian gentleman was trying to tell her about fixing something on her Dell -- which was probably to reinstall Windows. Apparently it was a very trying experience for all involved).