Product recycling programs

As part of its product end-of-life management (PELM) activities, IBM began offering product takeback programs in Europe in 1989 and has extended and enhanced them over the years. IBM's Global Asset Recovery Services organization now offers Asset disposal solutions to commercial customers in all 57 countries in which IBM Global Financing operates today. This includes the management of data security and disk overwrite services, a worldwide remarketing network for product resale and state-of-the-art refurbishing and recycling capability for IT equipment, and optional logistic services such as packing and transportation. Additionally, in many countries, IBM offers solutions to household consumers for the end-of-life management of computer equipment, either through voluntary IBM initiatives or country programs in which the company participates.

In 2008, IBM PELM operations worldwide processed 42,302 metric tons of end-of-life products and product waste sending only 0.6 percent of the total to landfills or to incineration facilities for treatment versus IBM's goal to minimize its combined product landfill use and incineration for treatment rate to no more than 3 percent.

Since 1995, when IBM first began reporting the volumes of product waste it collected and recovered (resold, refurbished, or recycled) in the company's annual corporate environmental report, through year-end 2008, IBM has documented the collection and recovery of more than 1.6 billion pounds (729,179 metric tons) of product and product waste worldwide.

For more information, visit Other product recycling information.

Upon request, and in accordance with Article 11 of the EU Directive 2002/96 (EC) on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and its respective transpositions into national law of the EU Member States, IBM will provide information to recyclers in accordance with the 'EICTA, CECED, AeA and EERA Joint Position Guidance on Implementing Article 11 of Directive 2002/96 (EC) Concerning Information for Treatment Facilities'. In order for the request to be processed, requests must be submitted in English and include the following information:

Company Name/Country:
Authorization/permit #:
Phone:
E-mail address:
Contact name:

Please direct your inquiry to one of the following:

For information on IBM stand-alone and multifunction printers, visit the InfoPrint Solutions Company WEEE Compliance in Europe (link resides outside of ibm.com) Web page.

For information on IBM Retail Store products (including printers integrated into these systems), please contact bongrazi@us.ibm.com.

For information on IBM servers and storage systems products, please contact ProdInfo@us.ibm.com.

For information on other IBM products (including printers integrated into these systems), please contact rmcintos@us.ibm.com.

Several U.S. states require manufacturers to create programs for no-charge product recycling for certain electronic equipment (e.g., personal computers, computer monitors and related accessories, etc.) that they have manufactured and sold.

IBM participates in a variety of product take back for recycling programs, including programs in certain states where individuals can ship their IBM computer products and peripherals through The UPS Store® and participating Mail Boxes Etc.® network to IBM recyclers.

For more information, visit the IBM Product Take Back for Recycling Web site.

Information about the InfoPrint Workgroup Printer Supplies Return Program can be found on the InfoPrint Solutions Company Support & Maintain - Environmental Management Program (link resides outside of ibm.com) Web page.