HP Middle East announced it is collaborating with the Ministry of Education, UAE to launch the HP Planet Partners programme in 25 local schools in Dubai. This environmental initiative, which has seen more than 389 million HP print cartridges recycled worldwide since its inception in 1991, offers free and convenient return and recycling services for original HP printing supplies. The programme, introduced in the UAE in 2009, ensures that no print cartridges returned through HP Planet Partners ends up in landfill.
For the duration of the school campaign, families will be able to return used original HP toner cartridges to their child’s institute and deposit them in the designated HP Planet Partners recycling containers. Parents will also be encouraged to sign their workplace up to the HP Planet Partners programme, to which participation is free of charge.
“HP is a leader in the industry when it comes to environmental sustainability and we work very hard to ensure we are developing products and solutions that are not only innovative but also help our customers print responsibly,” said Amin Mortazavi, General Manager, Imaging and Printing Group, HP Middle East. “As printing continues to play a vital role in our lives we are excited to work with the UAE Ministry of Education to educate students and local businesses on how to reduce the environmental impact of their printing by ensuring they dispose of used HP toner cartridges in a responsible manner.”
Through the collaboration, scheduled to begin in 2012, HP and public and private schools in Dubai will be working with both parents and students to create awareness around recycling, conservation and re-use in the hopes of ensuring greater environmental consciousness and a more sustainable future for generations to come. This includes HP employee visits to schools and educational materials that will enable teachers to explain the environmental challenges and what specific actions students can take to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, such as taking shorter showers or turning off the lights in unoccupied rooms.
“The HP Planet Partners programme is the perfect platform to start an open dialogue around the importance of recycling and environmental sustainability with the UAE’s next generation of leaders,” said Noura Al-Mutawa, Director of Activities and Special Needs, Ministry of Education. “We are pleased to join HP in this campaign and are looking forward to not only participating in discussions with students but also to help educate local businesses on how to responsibly recycle used HP toner cartridges.”
HP will organise a competition and give schools and students a chance to design a poster or create a video encouraging recycling in the UAE. A judging panel consisting of HP Planet Partner volunteers and HP Middle East senior management will evaluate all submissions and choose a winner whose work will be displayed in HP’s UAE offices. The HP Planet Partners programme is available worldwide in more than 50 countries, including 35 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
