CIOL: HP has a take-back service only for its business customers, through online request. How about the other segments?
PR: HP has had a PTB (Product Take Back) program in place since 2003 in the country. This was revamped and re-launched in July 2008. The scope of this program includes personal computers, laptops, computer monitors, handhelds, notebooks, servers, printers, scanners and fax machines, as well as associated external components such as cables, mice and keyboards.

HP has a robust structure in place for the take-back of its enterprise customers in India, though we have noticed limited collections from customers. HP also has a structured internal program to recycle its own personal productivity equipment, already mentioned as the Planet Partners Recycling Program.

This program is currently available to enterprise and commercial customers, and has been launched in India as a phased initiative. For printer supplies, the take-back program is available to consumers, where certain drop-off points have been identified for customers to deposit their end-of-life supplies.

HP is conducting a pilot testing of the consumer take-back program in a few locations for consumers in India. Once the pilots are completed by mid 2009 we will be able to determine the model of roll out on a larger scale. In the final phase of the program, expected by 2009, HP expects to be able to offer take back to consumers as well.

HP is also partnering with MAIT to look at a collection mechanism that will strengthen the infrastructure required for the consumer take back program.

CIOL: What initiatives are being taken at HP to phase out toxic chemicals from electronic as well as other products, which end up as e-waste?
PR: All HP products manufactured in India comply with RoHS [Restriction of Hazardous Substances] norms. In keeping with its global policy, HP designs and develops products that are sustainable throughout their life cycles, offers product re-use and recycling solutions, and sets high environmental standards in its operations and supply chain. HP is also actively working with multiple stakeholders to evolve guidelines for responsible e-waste management in the country.

CIOL: An e-waste law on the principles of Individual Producer Responsibility(IPR) is being formulated. What is HP's take on this?
PR: HP supports the concept of IPR in India as well, according to which a producer/manufacturer takes full responsibility of a product from its production till the end of its life phase, collect the discarded products and recycle it.

Environmental impacts can occur at every stage of the product lifecycle. Therefore, e-waste policies should be developed so that they encourage manufacturers to minimize the environmental impact of the product from the start, at the design stage itself.

At HP, through our Design for Environment (DfE) program, we design new products with a view to reduce the variety of plastics used in each product, minimize the hazardous material content, and improve the recyclability of the product.

All of these efforts are aimed at making the connection between better design and efficiency at the end of the products' useful life.

This principle is called 'individual producer responsibility (IPR)' and it encourages manufacturers to design products that are environmentally sound and gives them a return on their design investment. We believe that IPR is the only way producer responsibility policies can achieve the environmental outcomes they are initially designed to achieve.

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