Product Take-Back and Recycling
Begun in the early 1990s, Xerox has pioneered the practice of converting end-of-life electronic equipment into products and parts that contain reused parts while meeting new product specifications for quality and performance. 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 – 108 million pounds (49,000 metric tons) in 2007 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 landfills since 2003 is due in part to changes in product mix, design of lighterweight machines and the growth of regulatory-driven local recycling schemes. For example, the transition to digital equipment and lighterweight parts has reduced the weight of both office and production equipment by as much as 50% over the last 10 years. The decline also represents a decrease in the number of office machines returned for remanufacturing in Europe.
Waste Diverted from Landfills through Parts Reuse/Recycle
