'Electronic goods dumping must become global concern' says Fujitsu Siemens

In a bid to raise awareness about the problem, Rejasse highlighted that E-waste currently makes up five percent of all municipal solid waste worldwide and is expected to generate between 20-50 million tonnes of waste a year.

"The reduction of E-waste should be a serious priority for IT manufacturers and vendors globally to ensure the sustainable protection of the environment."

"E-waste is an issue that needs to be addressed and consumers and manufacturers have a social responsibility to produce eco-friendly products," said Rejasse.

"Waste from electronic goods is now the fastest growing component of the municipal solid waste stream and is set to further rise as developing countries are expected to triple their E-waste production over the next five years."

"Toxic chemicals in electronic products can leak into the land over time or are released into the atmosphere, impacting nearby communities and the environment. We must address this concern immediately and put procedures in place to prevent further contamination."

Fujitsu Siemens Computers is at the forefront of environmentally-friendly technology and has been working in the field for over 20 years. The company's recent product line, ESPRIMO, is the world's first complete range of eco-friendly PCs. Produced in Germany, ESPRIMO is the first-of-its-kind in the region and offers a complete ergonomic solution to increasing worldwide environmental legislation.

"The ESPRIMO professional PCs deliver the ultimate in cutting-edge technology combined with a modular and environmentally conscious design to professional users," explained Rejasse. "These 'Green' PCs are designed to rigorously comply with new, stringent EU guidelines, which will be in force by mid- 2006, restricting the use of hazardous substances."

To achieve this, the company has minimised the lead content in ESPRIMO mainboards from 12 grams to one, and completely restricted the use of halogen gas. In addition, the printed circuit boards, as well as power supply and riser card, are halogen-free. Ergonomics have also been enhanced, with all ESPRIMO PCs being equipped with an advanced cooling concept, making them even quieter to provide an optimal working environment.

"The launch of these PCs into the Middle East is a step in the right direction for the region but more awareness should be created in regard to the recycling of E-waste. At present, the market is gearing up for environmentally sound solutions with the aim of tackling this problem and we fully support any new initiatives," added Rejasse.

"Fujitsu Siemens Computers' Green PC sales currently account for over 400,000 machines a year, which is a quarter of all our professional PCs sold. This figure exceeds 50 percent in a number of countries. But there is still room for improvement."

In Germany Fujitsu Siemens Computers has expanded its 'take-back' programme, a region wide recycling initiative, to include equipment from private consumers in compliance with August 2005's WEEE directive.

"WEEE sets a 75 percent recycling target by 2006. In our own recycling centre, we already exceed this statutory requirement offering a 98 percent recycling rate on our own systems," said Rejasse. "By 2010 it is predicted that 716 million new computers will be in use. As you can see, the need for clear, effective environmentally-friendly disposal methods must be implemented."

In addition, Fujitsu Siemens Computers has switched its production lines to lead-free soldering, investing between Euros 500,000-600,000 in each mainboard production line.

"We estimate that this conversion will reduce our lead consumption by up to 20 tonnes a year," added Rejasse.

In 1994, Fujitsu Siemens Computers was the first PC manufacturer to be awarded the highly respected "Blauer Engel" (Blue Angel) environmental label for a professional PC (PCD-4Lsl). Fujitsu Siemens Computers is also a long term partner of the well renowned environmental group, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF Germany).