Product Take-Back and Recycling
Since 1991, remanufacturing and recycling have given new life to more than 2.8 million copiers, printers and multifunction systems, while diverting nearly two billion pounds of potential waste from landfills.

Begun in the early 1990s, Xerox has pioneered the practice of converting end-of-life electronic equipment into new products and parts. We have developed a comprehensive process for taking back end-of-life products, and have established a remanufacture, parts reuse and recycling program that fully supports our waste-free initiatives.

Our approach to managing products at end-of-life translates into significant environmental and financial benefits. Equipment remanufacture and the reuse and recycling of parts prevent millions of pounds of waste from entering landfills each year – 111 million pounds (50,000 metric tons) in 2006 alone.

With the implementation of the European Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, Xerox will continue to operate its European take-back program to enable equipment remanufacturing and parts reuse. It will also participate as needed in European member states’ individual collection and recycling programs.

The annual trend in reduction in waste diverted from landfill since 2002 is due in part to lighter-weight machines, and a decrease in the number of office machines returned for remanufacturing in Europe, where the new WEEE legislation mandates the national collection and recycling of scrap office products.