Fujitsu Siemens Computers ready for WEEE*
In-house recycling center and environmentally sound
production processes give company a head start
Paderborn/Germany, July 12, 2005 —One month before companies are required by the EU to accept
returns of waste, electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE),
Fujitsu Siemens Computers provided an update on progress to date at
its own Recycling Center in Paderborn, Germany. With over 15 years
of experience in environmentally responsible production and
recycling, the leading European IT vendor and German market leader
is confident that it is well prepared for the WEEE Directive, an
EU-wide regulation regarding the handling of old electrical and
electronic equipment.
“Companies slow in gearing up for this directive are
now under enormous time pressure and are forced to pay dearly for
expertise,” explained Peter Esser, Executive Vice President
Volume Products & Supply Operations at Fujitsu Siemens
Computers. “We profit from the fact that we developed a
universal environmental protection concept for the entire product
lifecycle in the early 1990’s and systematically applied
it.”
EU-wide WEEE regulations
As of August 13, 2005, all manufacturers and importers in the
EU will be obligated to take back waste electrical equipment, and
EU member states have consequently adopted national WEEE
legislation. Germany, for example, passed “ElektroG”
(the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act), in March. The
legislation calls for the reuse and recycling rates to reach at
least 75 percent by the end of 2006. The Fujitsu Siemens Computers
Recycling Center, which has been taking back and recycling used
systems since 1988, already manages a 98-percent ratio today.
All this experience is proving quite valuable as the company
implements the WEEE Directive throughout Europe. Working closely
with its experts in Paderborn, Fujitsu Siemens Computers has signed
contracts with local logistics and recycling partners in the
various countries. The central Recycling Center will in addition
handle equipment from business customers.
Professional PCs: RoHS-compliant by January
As of July 1, 2006, the EU’s RoHS Directive
(restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in
electrical and electronic equipment) prohibits the sale in all
member states of devices which exceed stringent limits for content
of a variety of dangerous substances, including lead, mercury and
cadmium. Here again, Fujitsu Siemens Computers is fully prepared
and will even meet RoHS criteria as early as January. Back in 1992,
the company established its first internal guidelines for
environmentally conscious design. The Augsburg plant’s nine
production lines produce 2.4 million internally developed PC
mainboards annually. Six of these lines have already been converted
to lead-free soldering, and green mainboards now represent 40
percent of total production. All models in the company’s
recently introduced ESPRIMO Professional PC range will comply with
RoHS as of this coming January, with all consumer products slated
to follow by the end of spring.
Recycling Center photos can be found
on the Fujitsu Siemens Computers Mediaserverver:
www.fsc-mediaserver.com
* WEEE = Directive 2002/96/EC on Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment
– end –
About Fujitsu Siemens Computers:
Fujitsu Siemens Computers is the leading European IT provider
with a responsible strategic focus on next-generation Mobility and
Business Critical Computing products, services and solutions. With
a portfolio of exceptional depth, our offering extends from
handhelds through desktops to enterprise-class IT infrastructure
solutions. Fujitsu Siemens Computers has a strong presence in all
key markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Leveraging
the strengths, innovation and global reach of our joint
shareholders, Fujitsu Limited and Siemens AG, we make sure we meet
the needs of customers: large corporations, small and medium
enterprises and private users.
For further information about Fujitsu Siemens Computers,
please visit:
www.fujitsu-siemens.com
PR Contacts:
Amy M.K. Flécher
Senior Director Communications
Tel.: +49 (0) 89 3222 4460
Mobile: +49 (0) 171 86 50 101
Fax: +49 (0) 89 3222 4466
amy.flecher@fujitsu-siemens.com
Sabine Twest
Senior PR Manager
Tel.: +49 (0) 89 3222 4457
Mobile: +49 (0) 175 18 62 082
Fax: +49 (0) 89 3222 4466
sabine.twest@fujitsu-siemens.com
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