HP Announces Bold New Goals and Partnerships
HP Announces Bold New Goals and Partnerships for Planet, People and Communities
Releases 2019 Sustainable Impact Report; Sustainability efforts helped drive more than US$1.6 billion in new sales in 2019 —an estimated 69 percent increase year-over- year
News highlights:
• Commits to eliminate 75 percent of single-use plastic packaging by 2025 compared to 2018.
• Advances diversity and inclusion agenda: 40 percent of global new hires were women; contributes US$698 million in overall economic impact through its supplier diversity program.
• Publishes inaugural Human Rights Progress Report to drive transparency and long-term community impact.
• Drives Digital Literacy, education and entrepreneurship training for underserved communities in India through World on Wheels (WoW) initiative.
• Expands HP Sustainable Forests Collaborative with addition of the Arbor Day Foundation, Chenming Paper, Domtar and New Leaf Paper.
India, June 25, 2020 — HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) today released its 2019 Sustainable Impact Report, including a goal to eliminate 75 percent of single-use plastic packaging by 2025. The new goal will contribute to a low-carbon, circular economy that can ultimately benefit the health of our people and communities. COVID-19 demonstra tes that people, communities and our planet are intertwined – the risks to the health and wellbeing of one im pacts the health and wellbeing of all. Furthermore, sustainability is a business imperative, helping to drive more than US$1.6 billion in new sales in 2019, a 69 percent increase from 2018.
“We at HP continue to find new ways to lead with purpose, and positively impact the planet, people and the co mmunities we serve,” said Vinay Awasthi, MD, HP India Market. “Our charter reflects the changing role of cor porations in society. This is why we believe in the principles that define our Sustainable Impact strategy – tr an sparency, accountability, empathy and equality. As business leaders, we must be cognizant of the world aro und us. Every business must now be a sustainable business and find ways of creating positive impact not only on the communities they serve but also for their stakeholders”, he further added.
Driving Digital Literacy in India
As part of its commitment to India, HP is running the World on Wheels (HP WoW ) initiative which is aimed at stu dents, youth and small entrepreneurs in rural areas to drive digital literacy, education programming, entrepr ene urship training and other community services in underserved areas. The services are being delivered via a self-con tained, internet-enabled digital inclusion and learning lab – in the form of a 20-seater high tech vehicle that tours these communities. HP is running 43 WoW buses across India with its partner organsiations reaching over 3.5 mi llion people in more than 1400 villages.
Creating A World Without Waste
Three hundred million tonnes of plastic are produced each year worldwide, half of which is for single use and 91 percent isn’t recycled at all. Packaging is also experiencing an increase in demand as a result of COVID-19. Pack aging comprises a significant portion of total waste produced and can affect the health of our planet and people, which is why HP today announced a new goal to eliminate 75 percent of single-use plastic packaging by 2025. Th e goal focuses on hardware unit packaging and is predicated on a move to molded fiber packaging cushions.
HP’s environmental packaging strategy aims to eliminate unnecessary plastics and materials of concerns whe rever possible. In 2019, HP decided to eliminate power cord plastic ties and plastic document bags in hardware packaging. HP also has shifted to more recyclable, paper-based alternatives. To accelerate this shift, the comp any is transitioning from plastic foam packaging cushions to those made with 100 percent recycled, molded pulp for HP’s notebooks, desktops and displays. The transition to molded fiber Personal Systems packaging cushions eliminated 933 tonnes of hard-to-recycle expanded plastic foam last year.
In Printing, HP reduced plastic foam by 40 percent and eliminated over 95 tonnes of the material in 2019 just by redesigning the packaging of a printer model. In 3D printing, HP recently announced the availability of a new ma terial called polypropylene PP that helps reduce waste by enabling up to 100 percent reusability of surplus po wder.
HP is also accelerating its use of recycled content plastics across its print and personal systems product portf olio. During 2019, HP used over 25,000 tonnes of postconsumer recycled content plastic in HP print and PS pr oducts, or equivalent to 9 percent plastics used. The company is working to increase this to 30 percent by 2025. HP has also sourced 1.7 million pounds – more than 60 million bottles – of ocean-bound plastic, and launched the world’s first notebook and displaymade using ocean-bound plastics plastics. With 111 Gold and 268 Silver EPEAT-registered products – more than any other company in the IT industry, HP has the world’s most sustai nable PC portfolio.[4]
Protecting and Restoring Forests
HP aims to regenerate natural systems that sustain life with a fo cus on protecting and restoring global forests. After eliminating deforestation in the supply chain for HP brand paper in 2016, the company is on track to do th e same for its paper-based product packaging by the end of 2020.
In 2019, HP announced its partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Together, HP and WWF aim to restore, protect and responsibly manage 200,000 acres of forest, an area equal to the size of New York City. Over five ye ars, HP is contributing US$11 million for WWF to restore part of Brazil’s critically threatened Atlantic Forest. In China, the project is focused on increasing the area of sustainably managed forest plantations to improve their resiliency and biodiversity. In both countries with the help of WWF, HP is advancing forest science to quantify the nature benefits of forest restoration activities.
HP has also launched the HP Sustainable Forest Collaborative and those efforts have inspired the Arbor Day Foundation, Chenming Paper, Domtar and New Leaf Paper to join the collaborative and accelerate efforts on forest restoration. The cross-industry collaboration will demonstrate scientific and viable approaches to kee ping forests ecosystems healthy. Together, HP and the collaborative members seek others to join the movement of growing forests and biodiversity for future generations.
Embracing Diversity and Inclusion to Fuel Innovation
HP is driving a culture of diversity and inclusion at all levels of the company and remains commited to fighting racial inequality in all forms. HP’s Board of Directors continues to be the most diverse of any U.S. technology company, comprised of 42 percent women and 58 percent minorities. Globally, 40 percent of HP hires in 2019 were women, and the company’s Global Supplier Diversity program spent US$374 million with small and diverse suppliers including minority-and women-owned businesses, contributing US$698 million in overall economic impact.
Earlier this year, HP re-committed to the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion, the largest CEO-driven bu siness commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The HP Foundation pledged US$5 00,000 to social justice organizations to confront and combat systemic racism and inequality in society.
HP is also leveraging its platforms to shine a spotlight on these issues globally. It is partnering with Girl Rising, a global a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating poverty by providing education to women and girls, to launch My Story: The 2020 Storytelling Challenge will bring to life examples of young leaders fighting for human rights, ra cial justice, gender equity and the advancement of education for girls.
Building Resilient Communities Everywhere
Inclusive access to technologies, tools and materials that can advance education for people everywhere is a key strategy for HP’s Sustainable Impact. In 2019, 6.3 million personal computers were shipped to schools world wide. During COVID-19, many schools were closed and the shift to mobile and online learning has been a chal lenge for many students who lack access to devices or a reliable Internet connection to learn from home. In res ponse, HP has launched Print, Play & Learn, a free HP global resource of free printable activities for learning and playing at home, as well as initiatives launched in China and India to deliver a combination of educational, enga ging and fun online and printed content. As part of the wide range of actions HP is taking to combat COVID-19, HP and HP Foundation are committed to donating an estimated US$8 million in products and grants to support blended learning and local communities.
HP is committed to building a more equitable, more resilient and more sustainable future for all. The company, along with more than 155 companies signed the ‘Recover Better’ statement, which urges governments worldwi de to align their COVID-19 economic aid and recovery efforts with the latest climate science because planetary health affects human health. This type of public advocacy and collective action is an important part of HP Sust ainable Impact and supports the systemic changes and policy action needed to help HP achieve its goals and com mitments as we continue to protect our people, communities and the planet.
About HP
HP Inc. creates technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere. Through our product and service portfolio of personal systems, printers and 3D printing solutions, we engineer experiences that amaze. More information about HP Inc. is available at http://www.hp.com
