HP touts greener ink packaging

Firm promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 16 million kilos.

HP has unveiled redesigned packaging for its print cartridges, claiming that the move could save an estimated 16 million kilos of greenhouse gas emissions this year.

The firm said that the savings would be derived from the use of smaller, lighter packages that reduce the total carbon footprint of each cartridge and the transportation traffic required to ship them.

The newer packaging also contains more recyclable and recycled content.

HP estimates that its redesigned print cartridge packaging will eliminate the use of nearly seven million kilos of materials, including 1.36 million kilos of corrugated cardboard in 2007.

The packaging also will eliminate the use of more than three million kilos of polyvinyl chloride through material reduction and substitution of recycled content plastic and paperboard.

The more efficient packaging is expected to reduce truck traffic in the US and Canada by an estimated 2.4 million kilometres in 2007.

Greg Norris, environmental life cycle assessment instructor at Harvard University, and creator of the Earthster project, said: "The changes all go in the right direction environmentally and all in ways that make economic sense to HP and its customers. More power to these designers." 

Pradeep Jotwani, senior vice president at HP's Supplies, Imaging and Printing Group, added: "Developing environmentally responsible packaging is not only valued by HP, our customers and our partners, it is also good business."

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