HP Launches PC Refurbishment Program, Boosts Small Business Printer Sustainability

HP Inc. continues to improve the sustainability of its PC and printer product portfolio. Details about the updated sustainability efforts surfaced during the HP Imagine 2023 event on October 5 in Palo Alto, California.

As HP President and CEO Enrique Lores (pictured, top of page) put it: “The products and services we are launching today reflect new ways to reimagine the way work gets done while contributing to a more sustainable future.”

HP PC Refurbishment Program

For starters, HP introduced New Device Refurbishment Offering. Devices in the program undergo a "rigorous refurbishment process ranging from memory enhancements to storage expansions, tailored to individual preferences and requirements. The devices are then tested extensively and inspected to ensure optimal performance and reliability," HP said.

The Device Refurbishment Program kicks off with notebooks in France this year. The program will expand to additional regions in 2024. On a related note, HP is testing rental model options with 6- or 12-month agreements in India.

HP plans to "build a global capability to scale and expand over time to include printers, collaboration equipment, and other hybrid solutions," the company added.

We are checking to see if or how HP plans to extend the refurbishment program to distributors, channel partners and MSPs.

New HP All-in-One PC, Foldable PC

In terms of new PC hardware, HP introduced:

• The HP Envy Move 23.8 inch All-in-One PC. Roughly 56% post-consumer recycled plastic was used in the display frame, buttons, rear cover, speaker enclosure, and keyboard. The device is EPEAT Gold Registered and ENERGY STAR Certified, HP said.
• The HP Spectre Foldable PC: The cover and keyboard frame contain up to 90% post-industrial recycled (PIR) metal. The keyboard module wrap contains recycled polyester fiber, and both the bezel and keyboard keycaps contain 50% PCR plastic. The keycaps are coated with 100% water-based paint. And the packaging material is 100% sustainably sourced, and is EPEAT Gold Registered and ENERGY STAR® Certified, HP said.

HP EvoMore and EvoCycle Cartridges: What Are They?

On the printer front, HP plans to introduce a reimagined OfficeJet Pro portfolio in January 2024. The new printers will feature EvoMore -- which HP has positioned as the "most sustainable cartridge in our ink cartridge range yet."

Among the proof points, HP said the EvoMore cartridge requires fewer replacements -- delivering twice the printed pages per cartridge. Moreover, the devices will include an HP Planet Partners recycling envelope. And an alliance with the Arbor Day Foundation will assist forest protection and restoration, the company said.

Meanwhile, HP also is expanding its EvoCycle toner cartridge from Europe to the United States and Canada. EvoCycle toner cartridges contain a minimum of 75% reused components and closed-loop recycled plastic, and 45% reused and recycled material by absolute weight, the company said.

Availability for the new HP OfficeJet Pro Series will vary per region. HP EvoMore cartridges are expected to be available in Spring 2024. HP EvoCycle is currently available in the UK, Germany and France, and is expected to be available starting in November in North America.

HP also announced various managed collaboration and AI tools.

HP's Overall Sustainability Strategy

HP's sustainability strategy, led by Senior VP and Chief Sustainability Officer James McCall, already extends from its own products to its partner ecosystem.

The company in March 2023 unveiled the HP Amplify Impact program -- which allows partners to align with HP's Sustainable Impact strategy. Partners that join Amplify Impact will "tap into HP’s extensive knowledge, training and resources to assess and improve their own sustainability performance while optimizing sustainability-driven sales opportunities."

On the financial front, HP leverages the Corporate Knights Sustainable Economy Taxonomy -- which allows the PC and printer maker to "quantify revenue generated from products and services that meet leading environmental standards and reduce our environmental impact," Lores told Wall Street analysts in May 2023.

And in June 2023, HP released its latest Sustainable Impact Report -- which tracks the company's progress toward climate action, human rights and digital equity goals, he added.

Sustainable PCs, Smartphones and Business Hardware: Apple, Lenovo, Dell Milestones

Multiple PC, smartphone and hardware makers continue to enhance their sustainability strategies. Among the anecdotes to note:

• September 2023: Apple introduced carbon neutral watches, and vowed to gradually make all of its products carbon neutral. On the software front, Apple launched Grid Forecast Software to help consumers leverage renewable energy.
• August 2023: Lenovo introduced a Reduced Carbon Transport Service. The service "gives enterprises the option to lower their carbon impact when IT devices are air shipped," the PC maker said.
• August 2023: After months of rumors, the Fairphone 5 sustainable smartphone launched.

Meanwhile, Dell says that over 50% of product content and 100% of packaging will be made from recycled or renewable materials by 2030.

Note: Blog originally posted September 5, 2023. Updated multiple times thereafter.