Hello
come listen to my story
Sustainability: A conscious effort made by corporations.
introduction This zine aims to analyze the story of one product to portray the concept of greenwashing by revealing the hidden realities of what corporations do in private and compare it to what is presented to the public. The zine tells two sides of the story simultaneously: the corporate side on the left and the Agbogbloshie civilian perspective on the right side. The corporation that I have chosen is Hewlett Packard. This company creates one of the most common printers in the world. Their story begins with an overview of the company (why they are a reputable brand, how much revenue they generate, etc.). They are successful, well-respected, and well-known. The zine then dives into one of their most popular products: their laserjet printer. These printers were selected because of their greenwashing on a product scale (through ink cartridges) and on a global scale (through dumping). They can be found commonly all over the world, including at Agbogbloshie. That brings us to the other perspective. The right side of the zine is an annotation of the left. It depicts the comments and questions made by residents near Agbogbloshie, the world’s largest e-waste dumpsite located near Ghana. These annotations explain how big corporations like HP that preach sustainability are dumping massive amounts of e-waste that affect their respiratory system, economics, families, and more. The list of consequences are endless yet so detrimental. Overall, this corporation was chosen because they are a well-known reputable company that is respected in its field for their sustainability initiatives and attempt at environmental plus social care. If greenwashing exists in a company like this, imagine how much worse it is at other companies.
WHAT IS HEWLETT PACKARD? WHAT DO THEY MAKE? WHATHewlett IS THEIR REPUTATION? Packard Inc. Statistics & Facts WHAT ELSE DO TEY DESIGN? WHAT DO THEY DO ENVIRON? WHAT DO THEY DO ENVIRON? WHAT DO THEY DO ENVIRACS? WHAT DO THEY DO ENVIR? WHAT DO THEY DO EISDR? WHAT DO THEY DO ENVISDR? WHAT DO THEY DO ENVISDR? WHAT IS HEWLETT PACKARD? WHAT DO THEY MAKE? WHAT IS THEIR REPUTATION? WHAT ELSE DO TEY DESIGN? WHAT DO THEY DO ENVIRON? WHAT DO THEY DO ENVIRON? WHAT DO THEY DO ENVIRACS? WHAT DO THEY DO ENVIR? WHAT DO THEY DO EISDR? WHAT DO THEY DO ENVISDR? WHAT FUTURE DO THEY SEE? WHAT ARE THEIR SERVICES? WHAT IS THEIR GROWTH? By Thomas Alsop, 2023
HP Inc. is one of the leading PC vendors globally, consistently occupying around 20 percent of the market alongside competitors like Lenovo and Dell. The American technology company was formed in November 2015 following the break-up of its predecessor, Hewlett-Packard Company. HP’s pedigree stretches back to 1935 when the parent company was founded in the garage of William Hewlett and David Packard. Initially producing a range of electronic test equipment, HP rose in the intervening years to become one of the leading manufacturers of personal computers worldwide and a global manufacturer of servers, storage devices, and networking equipment, as well as delivering a variety of IT services for both consumers and enterprises. HP generated over 60 billion U.S. dollars in annual revenue in recent years With HP Co's closure, HP inherited the personal computer and printer departments while enterprise software, servers, and storage went to the newly formed Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). Both companies continue to generate multi-billion-dollar revenues, with HP earning revenues of 63 billion U.S. dollars in 2022 and employing 58,000 people globally in the process. The company also remains largely profitable, posting net earnings of 3.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, although this was a dramatic fall compared to the previous year as the tech industry navigated difficult macroeconomic conditions that have impacted the global economy.
PCs serve as the core of HP’s business offering The dominant segment of HP’s business remains personal systems, with the company riding the separation of the company without too much disruption to its market position. HP remains one of the major players in the global PC market, securing over 20 percent of the market in 2022. Looking more closely, the company shipped 55.3 million PCs in 2022, a decline of 25 percent compared to the previous year. This reflects the wider trend of reduced PC demand as buyers delay purchases due to economic uncertainty. Beyond PCs, HP also accounts for a sizeable proportion of the hardcopy peripherals market where it competes alongside brands such as Canon and Epson. Moving ahead, the company has highlighted continued investment in products and services as a key strategy in ensuring it emerges from the tough macro environment in a positive shape.
Hewlett Packard Laser Jet Printer Material Content
Hewlett Packard to aid Africa’s e-waste battle By: Catarina Amorim
Computer company Hewlett-Packard (HP) has launched a project to help local African enterprises perform safer and more effective electronic waste recycling. The project, in association with the Global Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF) and the Swiss Institute for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), was launched in London, United Kingdom, yesterday (18 September). The initiative will begin in Kenya, Morocco and Tunisia, examining each country’s situation and providing expertise and funds to private initiatives to improve the level of e-waste recycling. “We hope that this initial analysis will enable us to create a widespread public private partnership that will not only improve health and environmental standards, but also help disadvantaged communities by promoting skills and creating jobs,” said Klaus Hieronymi, of HP’s Environment Business Management Organisation. According to the European Environmental Agency, e-waste is growing faster than any other type of waste, with an annual volume close to 40 million metric tons globally. Dumping or improper recycling of electronic waste causes serious environmental contamination, and while electronic goods are mostly used in the developed world, many end up in developing countries. Africa has become the e-waste dumping ground of choice, creating huge problems in a continent that does not have the resources to deal with such specialised waste management, say HP. At a press conference Kirstie McIntyre, HP’s environmental take-back compliance manager was asked why the initiative was not starting in countries with bigger e-waste problems, such as Nigeria. She said the initiative was starting in countries with a higher gross domestic product, which have higher electronic purchase levels and therefore urgently need structures in place to deal with potential e-waste increases. Ruediger Kuehr, executive secretary of the Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP) initiative — a UN scheme to create global standards in e-waste — welcomed the project. “We are very supportive of such initiatives where large private companies start doing these kinds of social projects, which are not only PR,” he said. Kuehr told SciDev.Net that negotiations to put the project under the StEP initiative are taking place.
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted in 1989 and it came into force in 1992. It is the most comprehensive global environmental agreement on hazardous wastes and other wastes. With 175 Parties (as at 31 March E-Waste and Product Recycling We encourage responsible legislation 2011), it has nearly universal on collection and recycling of used membership. The Convention aims electronics that take into account shared responsibilities, to protect human health and the measurements of waste flows, environment against the adverse workable flow systems, harmonized recycling standards and fair effects resulting from the allocation of obligations. generation, transboundary HP engages with governments to help improve national and movements and management of international legislation governing hazardous wastes and other the movement of electronic waste. We strongly support the updated wastes. The Basel Convention language adopted by the Basel regulates the transboundary Convention that recognized the movements of hazardous wastes appropriate movement of non working products between countries and other wastes and obliges its to allow for proper repair or Parties to ensure that such wastes responsible recycling and encourage countries to adopt this approach. are managed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. HP publishes a recycling vendor list The Convention covers toxic, to promote transparency and poisonous, explosive, corrosive, progress in raising social and environmental standards in the flammable, ecotoxic and infectious electronics industry supply chain. w a s t e s . Parties also have an obligation to minimize the quantities that are transported, to treat and dispose of wastes as close as possible to their place of generation and to prevent or minimize the generation of wastes at source.
How The Basel Convention has Harmed Developing Countries First, it is important to closely examine the language that is used to outline the constraints and rules that exporters of waste must follow. Ambiguous language allows exporters to identify loopholes in the Basel Convention and continue their exporting of toxic waste to developing countries without it being technically illegal. Due to lack of uniformity in definitions of terminology such as ‘hazardous’ and ‘waste’, the requirements are left up to interpretation of the individual nation state. This gives exporters the flexibility to exploit this in a manner in which they can continue their exporting of waste to developing countries under the pretence of it being ‘commodities’. In this way, more toxic waste ends up in developing countries where it is picked apart by local workers, affecting their and the surrounding environment’s health. As mentioned earlier, much of what is called ‘waste’ has value elsewhere and is reused and recycled. Therefore, exporters are allowed to ship their waste to developing countries by saying that it is being sent there to be recycled instead of just being dumped. This is termed ‘sham’ recycling and is another way for hazardous waste to be traded legally. Even when the waste is recycled, many developing countries lack the facilities and technology to safely dispose of toxic substances, again leading to adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
Preliminary Research
Content - Articles cont.
Bogdan-Martin, D. (2022). How Africa is leading the way in dealing with ‘e-waste’. Climate Champions. https://climatechampions.unfccc.int/how-africa-is-leading-the-way-in-dealing-with-e-waste/.
Amorim, C. (2007). Hewlett Packard to aid Africa’s e-waste battle. SciDevNet. https://www.scidev.net/global/news/hewlett-packard-to-aid-africas-ewaste-battle/.
Circular Economy in Africa: Electronics and e-waste. Ellen Macarthur Foundation. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy-in-africa-e-waste.
Donoghue, A. (2009). HP and the African e-waste problem: Round 2. ZDNET. https://www.zdnet.com/article/hp-and-the-african-e-waste-problem-round-2/.
Yeung, P. (2019). The Toxic Effects of Electronic Waste in Accra, Ghana. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-29/the-rich-world-s-electronic-waste-dumped-in-ghana . Bates, M. (2013). Europe’s electronic waste has become African’s burden. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/europes-electronic-waste-has-become-africas-burden-17123. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment recycling (WEEE). Health and Safety Executive. https://www.hse.gov.uk/waste/waste-electrical.htm. Steele, C. (2021). Cleaning Up the E-Waste Mess: Big Tech Needs to Do More. PCMag. https://www.pcmag.com/news/cleaning-up-the-e-waste-mess-big-tech-needs-to-do-more. Marsh, J. (2021). The Harmful Effects of E-Waste to Humans. Environment. https://environment.co/the-harmful-effects-of-e-waste-to-humans/. (2023). HP Reuse and Recycling Vendors. HP. https://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c05403198. E-Waste & its Negative Effects on the Environment. Elytus. https://elytus.com/blog/e-waste-and-its-negative-effects-on-the-environment.html#:~:text=As%20mentioned%2C%20ele ctronic%20waste%20contains,kidney%20and%20skeletal%20system% 20damage. (2021). Soaring e-waste affects the health of millions of children, WHO warns. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news/item/15-06-2021-soaring-e-waste-affects-the-health-of-millions-of-children-who-warns. McElvaney, K. Ghana’s e-waste magnet. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2014/2/12/ghanas-e-waste-magnet#:~:text=Agbogbloshie%20is% 20the%20world%27s%20biggest,former%20wetland%20and%20recre ation%20area.
Hale, C. (2023). HP printers could soon lose their official environmental certification following user fury. TechRadar Pro. https://www.techradar.com/news/hp-printers-could-soon-lose-their-official-environmental-certification-followi ng-user-fury. Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes. United Nations Environment Programme. https://www.unep.org/resources/report/basel-convention-control-transboundary-movements-hazardous-wastes. Alsop, T. (2023). HP- Inc - Statistics and facts. Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/1122/hewlett-packard/#topicOverview. Lepawsky, J. (2018). Reassembling Rubbish & World Electronic Waste. VIVO Media Arts Centre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr0MwogZdkA&ab_channel=VIVOMediaArtsCentre. Rapezzi, C. (2020). The informal e-waste and metal recyclers of Agbogbloshie. Equal Times. https://www.equaltimes.org/the-informal-e-waste-and-metal. Shukla, N. (2020). How the Basel Convention has Harmed Developing Countries. Earth.org. https://earth.org/how-the-basel-convention-has-harmed-developing-countries/. HP Policy Position. HP. https://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c05346469. HP Product Material Content Information. HP. https://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/getpdf.aspx/c05117791.pdf. Content - Photos (2021). https://www.southworld.net/ghana-living-and-dying-in-agbogbloshie/.
Ghana: Digital Dumping Ground. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/ghana804/video/video_index.html.
(2012). HP Logo. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HP_logo_2012.svg.
Franklin-Wallis, O. (2023). The Truth about our electronic waste. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/03/i-spot-brand-new-tvs-here-to-be-shredded-the-truth-about-o ur-electronic-waste .
(2014). Smithsonian Institute. https://scalar.usc.edu/works/reassembling-rubbish/worlding-electronic-waste-1.
Spaull, J. (2015). World’s biggest e-dump, or vital supplies for Ghana? SciDev. https://www.scidev.net/global/multimedia/electronic-waste-dump-supplies-ghana/. Content - Articles Repurpose and recycle today: HP Planet Partners helps power a circular economy. HP. https://www.hp.com/us-en/sustainable-impact/planet-product-recycling.html#:~:text=HP%20Planet%20Partners%20is%20our,can%2 0be%20repurposed%20and%20recycled. GreenComputingStaff. (2007). Hewlett-Packard Partners with Nonprofit to Reduce E-Waste in Africa. GreenBiz. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/hewlett-packard-partners-nonprofit-reduce-e-waste-africa.
Agbogbloshie. Wikipedia. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Agbogbloshie.JPG. Laser Jet Printer. HP. https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/hp-laserjet-tank-mfp-2604sdw-printer. Piechnik, R. (2017). How It’s Made? - Printers from Hewlett Packard. Filminet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkPzc31Wtnc&ab_channel=RobertPiechnik. Ink cartridges. Best Buy Blog. https://blog.bestbuy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/hp-cartridge.jpg. Person standing in Agbogbloshie. ttps://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/2/19/1392811124890/5fd21957-f96a-4391-bc0b-33bc7456 6cf6-2060x1368.jpeg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max &s=349752a216d0f909f727b697e34546a4.