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Dell Launches Compostable Laptop Packaging

Original Source: http://www.sustainablelifemedia.com
Author: Thomas Miner
Original Publication Date: May 12, 2010

May 12, 2010 – Dell announced on Tuesday that the bamboo packaging which houses multiple netbooks and laptop lines during shipping has been certified compostable by the American Society for Testing and Materials. Dell joins the likes of SunChips and Snyder’s of Hanover in leading the next trend in sustainable packaging – compostability.

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) gave Dell’s packaging its D-6400 certification. This certification confirms the packaging, made from mechanically pulped bamboo from a Forest Stewardship Council-certified bamboo forest in China, will compost and biodegrade at a rate comparable to known compostable materials when added to a hot, active compost pile. The certification also assures that the compost resulting from the packaging’s degradation process is of good quality and can sustain plant growth.

Dell chose bamboo to replace its typical wood-paper and plastic packaging because of the material’s natural, sustainable qualities. Bamboo grows very fast, up to two feet per day in some areas, and harvesting can occur in as little as 3 years (much faster than wood). The actual harvesting has very little affect on the surrounding environment, and actually protects the land from erosion and doesn’t require replanting. The main benefit of bamboo is its strength; as bamboo is also used as a substitute for hardwood flooring, its durability is ideal for protecting electronics.

“The use of bamboo for electronics packaging is pretty new, but its viability as a great packaging material can’t be ignored,” said Oliver Campbell, Dell’s senior manager of packaging worldwide. “We’re introducing it with mobile products, as it’s proven a strong, sustainable and cost-effective solution for packaging those. We’re actively working to integrate this and other innovative, agricultural materials into packaging for products across our portfolio.”

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