Product recycling programs

Lenovo offers environmentally sound managed asset recovery services (ARS) and product take back and recycling programs to business and consumer customers, respectively, in many countries around the world. These offerings are designed to satisfy specific customer and geographic needs while maximizing the reuse, recycling, and/or environmental disposal of replaced and end of life products, parts, and waste.

Product Recycling Programs by Region

Select your country to obtain information about Lenovo’s ARS and take back and recycling program for products, batteries, and packaging.

Recovery and Recycling Trends

During the 2013 calendar year, Lenovo financed or managed the processing of more than 12,800 metric tons, equivalent to more than 28.225 million pounds, of Lenovo-owned and customer-returned computer equipment. Of this total, 9.7 percent was reused as products or parts, 87 percent was recycled as materials, 2 percent was incinerated with waste to energy recovery, 0.36 percent was incinerated as disposal treatment and only 1 percent was disposed of by landfill. As part of Lenovo's continual improvement activities, we look for opportunities to reduce the use of incineration and landfill and maximize reuse and recycling.

Our consumers have shown considerable interest in our recycling programs. In 2013, customer returns constituted more than 10,500 metric tons, or more than 23.1 million pounds. Our 2013 performance includes fourth-year data from Lenovo's Asset Recovery Services offered to large enterprises, along with data from Lenovo's other voluntary and legal product take-back programs for consumers and businesses. The recycled customer returns in 2013 represents 8.5 percent of the total weight of new products put on the market in 2009.

Since Lenovo's establishment as a global company in May 2005, we have processed more than 120,600 metric tons, or 266 million pounds, of computer equipment through our contracted service providers.

In addition to these quantities, Lenovo's internal manufacturing operations and R&D offices have processed an additional 2,228 metric tons (more than 4.9 million pounds) of Lenovo owned computer equipment during this same time period.

Note: Lenovo become a global company in May of 2005 with the purchase of the former IBM PC Division. Since 2005, Lenovo has been selectively rolling out consumer targeted PCs in specific markets and many Lenovo branded products are still being used by initial or secondary owners. Therefore, very few Lenovo branded products have yet to enter into Lenovo’s voluntary and legal WEEE and product take back programs or the electronic waste streams in general.

Lenovo's Approved Suppliers

The Lenovo supplier facilities and processes provide brokering, refurbishing, reselling, dismantling, recycling, and disposal services must meet rigorous audit and qualification requirements prior to use by Lenovo regardless of their geographic location. These requirements include the supplier's completion of self declaration of capabilities, controls, and compliance and downstream supplier forms, the successful completion of a Lenovo on-site audit of each supplier facility, processes, and management systems, review of audit findings and documentation and approval process, and establishment of a Lenovo contract with appropriate environmental terms and conditions. A listing of Lenovo audited and approved supplier facilities by geography, activity and audit date is maintained in a corporate database with access by all Lenovo sites and organizations for selecting suppliers. Supplier facility qualifications include compliant processing capabilities, high reuse and recycling efficiencies, acceptable environmental, health, and safety management systems, full disclosure of downstream supplier facilities and compliance, acceptable controls to ensure no exporting of hazardous waste to non-OECD countries, no use of prison labor, and only reselling verifiable functional products and parts for reuse as originally intended without further refurbishment.

Third Party Certifications

Lenovo strongly encourages all recyclers, dismantlers, resellers, refurbishers, brokers, and disposal suppliers to achieve accredited third party certifications to ISO 14001, ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001, and recycling standards such as Responsible Recycling (R2), and e-Stewards. Most of Lenovo supplier facilities worldwide providing legal or voluntary product take back services have achieved certifications to ISO 14001 and a growing number, especially in the United States, have achieved certifications to R2 or e-Steward. Lenovo’s own audit program, completion of which is a requirement for doing business with Lenovo, includes elements of these third party standards as well as numerous additional criteria in areas including environmental, health, safety, business controls, security, etc.

Closed Loop Recycling

Functional products and parts are recovered from Lenovo's Asset Recovery Services programs which are used as originally intended without further refurbishment. Over eighty percent of all Lenovo supplier processed end of life computer equipment worldwide is recovered materials (e.g., precious metals, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics, glass) which are used to manufacture new IT or non-IT products around the world. Since May 2005, Lenovo suppliers have processed over two hundred and sixty six million pounds of Lenovo owned and customer returned equipment producing a large amount of reusable materials.

Lenovo is especially proud to have participated in these closed loop activities by connecting Lenovo's Category 3 Suppliers with recovered plastics with Lenovo's recycled plastic manufacturers for reuse in the manufacture of new Lenovo and non-Lenovo products. Lenovo has used over 42 million pounds (net) of post-consumer recycled plastic from both end of life IT and non-IT sources in the manufacture of new Lenovo products since early 2007.

For Large Enterprise Customers

Lenovo offers Asset Recovery Service (ARS) to business customers to help manage their end-of-life technology equipment by providing PC take-back, data destruction, refurbishment and recycling. Lenovo also offers additional services including inventory, value assessment, on-site de-installation and data encryption. This service gives customers an end-to-end solution from Lenovo from the point of computer purchase to take-back and disposal. Lenovo's expertise in managing the end-of-life computers can help customers eliminate the time and expense of managing the disposal of surplus or replaced equipment themselves. Additionally upon request, Lenovo can facilitate donation of the old computers or can help customers receive cash back for them.

Businesses interested in using these services should contact their local Lenovo Sales Representative. For more information on Lenovo Asset Recovery Services (ARS) please click here.

Data Security

Lenovo and its recycling partners are not responsible for information left on equipment returned to Lenovo or its partners for recycling. Lenovo recommends consumers use a commercially available data-erasing software application available on the market to ensure data is removed from the machine’s hard drive prior to returning for recycling.

WEEE Information for Reuse and Treatment Centers

Reuse, treatment, and recycling centers in countries with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations can obtain reuse and treatment information for Lenovo products put on the market after August 13, 2005. Email inquires to environment@lenovo.com

Lenovo Statement concerning WEEE
Lenovo Q&As concerning the European Union Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

Packaging

Reusable bulk packaging may be available for many of Lenovo’s products. Contact your sales rep or environment@lenovo.com for more information.