HP opens recycling facility in Africa

HP opens recycling facility in Africa

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

Hewlett-Packard has opened up the first advanced e-scrap processing plant in East Africa to deal with the increasing volume of discarded mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices generated in the region, reports The Star [1], which has an interview piece with Herve Guilcher, the company's director of environment.

According to the interview, HP launched East Africa Compliant Recycling last year, the region's first e-scrap recycling facility. The facility was also part of a pilot project in Mombasa to produce a scalable model for e-scrap recycling, while also getting a better sense what was needed to better collect and recycle old electronics.

"Since beginning official operations, the EACR remains the only recycling facility in Kenya to accept, dismantle and separate all e-waste components, not just the valuable resources," Guilcher told the paper. "Plastics, glass, batteries — everything — are all disposed in accordance with the highest international criteria while generating local income and employment opportunities."

As a result of the center, HP has expanded its free hardware recycling services for enterprise and commercial customers, according to Guilcher. The facility, which meets international environmental and health standards, will also begin accepting appliances in addition to computers.

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