From Waste to Worth: HP and TÜV Rheinland's Sustainability Revolution
TAIPEI, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As companies worldwide strive for carbon reduction and net-zero goals, HP has been advancing its sustainable supply chain. Recently, HP has collaborated with suppliers to complete a brand closed-loop recycled materials certification project, audited by TÜV Rheinland Taiwan according to international standards. This initiative sets a new benchmark for e-waste recycling while demonstrating HP's commitment to sustainability development.
HP has been an advocate of the circular economy as early as the 1960s. The enterprise has built upon its early initiatives in recycled materials programs to sustainably achieve the brand's long-term sustainability goals, and this year it took a significant step by launching the recycling of the brand's IT and telecom equipment waste—such as laptops, monitors, and keyboards—into raw materials for new products. HP has also partnered with TÜV Rheinland's team of experts in recycled materials verification to establish inspection procedures, and TÜV Rheinland has fully conducted comprehensive audits throughout the entire process, complying with ISO 14021, EN 15343, and ISO 22095 standards.
Starting from waste collection, the inspection process involves meticulous evaluation of each stage, including manual sorting, dismantling, washing, electrostatic separation, and pelletizing, ensuring traceability and strict control. Unlike conventional e-waste processing, the emphasis with this system is precise manual disassembly and detailed classification management. During recycling, HP's discarded products are carefully dismantled piece by piece, including screws, motherboards, and plastic parts, significantly enhancing material purity and recycled rates while minimizing contamination and material loss. According to TÜV Rheinland's evaluation, a 65% recycled rate is achieved for ABS plastic from keyboards, enabling 0.65 kg of ABS to be recovered from every kilogram of discarded keyboards. Similarly, up to 30% of high-quality recycled plastic can be extracted from HP monitor waste and repurposed for next-generation HP products. This method has proven far more efficient and sustainable than traditional whole-device shredding.
In addition to plastics, HP has pioneered closed-loop recycling for metals. For example, PCBs rich in valuable metals undergo processes such as shredding, leaching, and electrolysis, enabling the recovery of 100% recycled electrolytic copper exclusively for HP. This comparatively sustainable process efficiently extracts material with electrolysis to separate multiple metals. The method ensures high purity and recovery rates, with an average of 200 to 300 kilograms of closed-loop recycled copper obtained per ton of discarded PCBs, showcasing its exceptional efficiency and sustainability.
Bringing over 20 years of experience in recycled material verification, TÜV Rheinland provided comprehensive technical support and inspection mechanisms, ensuring transparency and traceability across the recycling system—from waste collection to the application of materials in new HP products. TÜV Rheinland conducted rigorous audits of HP's closed-loop recycling system and material production processes, ultimately verifying five types of material.
As consumer e-waste volumes continue to grow, governments and organizations worldwide are introducing stricter recycling regulations and encouraging the incorporation of recycled materials into products. HP's closed-loop recycling model not only boosts resource efficiency but also sets a precedent for the electronics industry, promoting advancements in resource recovery and enhancing material management. Looking ahead, HP is taking further steps toward achieving a fully circular economy, and plans to expand its certification scope and integrate more recycled materials into HP products.
SOURCE TUV Rheinland Taiwan
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