Operational Excellence
April 4, 2007
Taking a Byte Out of E-Waste
Kaiser Permanente is among the companies setting the standard for environmentally sound disposal of obsolete computers and other gear
Oakland, Calif.—Kaiser Permanente is a role model in the arena of environmentally sound policies for disposing of obsolete computers and other technological detritus, according to a recent article in ComputerWorld.
Despite recent attention paid to the issue of tech trash – there are an estimated 500 million obsolete computers
gathering dust on desks and in store rooms throughout the United States – a paltry 10 percent of all such waste is currently recycled, according to the Silicon Valley Toxics Commission.
The ComputerWorld story cites Kaiser Permanente's electronic waste disposal program as a shining example of how it should be done. "There are other positive signs, including the actions of companies like Kaiser Permanente," the story reads. "The Oakland, Calif.-based health care organization is a leader in handling its electronic waste, and it has the track record to prove it."
KP has disposed of 500,000 assets weighing 12.7 million pounds – equal to the weight of, for example, about 2,000 Hummer H2 sport-utility vehicles. None of that e-waste has ended up in a landfill, says Ron Andreoff, KP Information Technology's executive director of business management.
Read more about our leadership in this issue through the article in ComputerWorld.
