Reducing Ocean-Bound Plastics
HP invested $2 million in a new plastic washing line in Haiti that produces clean, high-quality recycled plastic for use in HP premium products, including Original HP ink cartridges and the company’s most sustainable PC portfolio and also opens up new markets for the Haiti team. This investment into a self-reliant ocean-bound plastic supply chain continues HP’s longstanding commitment to diverting ocean-bound plastic and contributing to a lower-carbon, circular economy while providing income and education opportunities locally. As of today, the washing line is fully functioning, thanks to the combined efforts and deep collaboration with Lavergne (our plastics transformer), ECSSA (our local Haiti recycler) and STF Group (the manufacturer of the washing line).
HP Planet Partners recycling process also relies in part on ocean-bound plastics sourced and recovered in Haiti. HP has been reducing ocean-bound plastic in Haiti since 2016, and these efforts have already diverted approximately 1.7 million pounds (771 metric tons) of plastic materials—or more than 60 million bottles— preventing this plastic from reaching waterways and oceans.
In October 2018, HP joined NextWave Plastics, the collaborative and open-source initiative convening leading technology and consumer-focused companies to develop the first global network of ocean-bound plastics supply chains. The coalition has set a goal of diverting a minimum of 25,000 tons of plastics – the equivalent of 1.2 billion single-use plastic water bottles – from entering the ocean by the end of 2025.
“HP is working to set the industry standard for sustainability practices, and as a member of NextWave Plastics, is ensuring that the lessons they have learned are shared among other industry leaders to make an even greater impact,” says Dune Ives, CEO of Lonely Whale, the convening entity of NextWave. “HP’s creativity and commitment to their work in Haiti in the face of a global pandemic is making waves of positive change that simultaneously benefit local communities, the ocean and our future.”
As part of the company’s commitment to sustainable impact, HP has also teamed up with NGO Work to create more than 1,100 new income opportunities and provide new learning centers for children on site as their parents work on the recycling efforts. The learning centers are equipped with the latest technology, including laptops and printers using cartridges from locally collected plastics.