In this era, when the threat of climate change looms large over the horizon, more and more companies have begun taking the eco-friendly route.
Arguably, this is a bit difficult when it comes to the printing and publishing industry because the main ingredient – paper – comes from felling trees. Not to mention the chemicals and oil required in making ink and ink cartridges. Even so, HP is taking initiative and aiming to make printing more eco-friendly.
How is HP Making Printing More Sustainable?
With the motto of “print, plant, grow,” HP is making printing more sustainable using the Forest First Initiative. Whenever you print something using a HP+ printer, HP will calculate the number of pages printed using a science-based approach and invest in the restoration of forest ecosystems regardless of the paper brand you use. This will offset the deforestation that took place in making the paper. HP is collaborating with environmental NGOs to make this project a success.
Current HP Forest initiatives include collaborations with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) along with some local projects throughout the world.
HP began its partnership with WWF in 2019 by pledging $80 million to protect, restore, and sustainably manage forests. This collaboration led to planting more than a million trees as well as restoring more than 200,000 acres of land! This also included planting a tree for each HP employee. Known as the Printing Trees Campaign, this has shown that printing can not only be eco-friendly, it can actually regenerate ecosystems! You can check out the campaign below.
As reported by PrinterHeadlines.com, the ad was created by Wieden+Kennedy Portland and directed by Megaforce through Iconoclast, while the soundtrack was provided by the British composer Ben Salisbury.
Other Efforts by HP to be More Sustainable
The company has achieved its goal of zero deforestation in making its own branded paper. All of HP’s branded paper and paper-based packaging materials are either made using recycled or certified materials. Certified materials include paper made using trees from responsibly managed forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The regeneration of forests is only part of HP’s efforts towards being more eco-friendly. Being net-zero is not enough. HP aims to be net-positive. In order to achieve a carbon neutral and circular economy, it has taken several steps:
- HP has reduced its carbon emissions by 33% since announcing its forest first initiative in 2019. It has also announced a lower rate of energy consumption and cost-per-device.
- In a bid to make its manufacturing more circular, HP encourages a closed loop system by using up to 30% of post-consumer plastics (including tons of ocean-bound plastics) in its products. This began in 1991 since HP founded its Planet Partners Recycling Program. This also contributes towards reducing plastic waste in the environment and the ocean.
- More than 75% of original HP ink cartridges contain post-consumer recycled content. 100% of original HP toner cartridges are made using recycled materials! It also upcycles its hardware.
- In 2020, more than half of the power used in production came from renewable sources.
- HP reduced its overall carbon footprint by 4% in 2020 compared to the previous year.
- HP’s water footprint was 11% less in 2020 compared to 2019.
HP is well on its way to achieving a zero-waste manufacturing process and using 100% renewable electricity in all global operations by 2025. Let’s join HP in creating a healthier and cleaner planet.
