Dell Helps Customers Be Green

January 11th, 2007: Michael Dell has announced an ambitious global carbon-neutral initiative to help Dell customers reduce the environmental impact of technology they use.

Called “Plant a tree for me”, the program lets Dell customers choose to pay a few extra dollars on top of the purchase of a new laptop or desktop computer to cover the planting of a tree. This offsets the emissions generated by the use of that computer over an estimated three-year life span.

Dell is the first in the industry to offer such a scheme, and says that 100 percent of donations received through the program will be used by its non-profit partners The Conservation Fund and the Carbonfund.org to plant trees.

The company says that of donations of $2 for a notebook and $6 for a desktop will neutralise that computers emissions over three years as the trees planted absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over their 70-year lifespan.

"The customer experience starts with receiving the best value and continues with the knowledge that we are working with our customers to protect the environment throughout the life of their system," said Michael Dell, chairman of Dell. "Programs like ‘Plant a Tree for Me’ and our global recycling efforts empower our customers to participate with us in making a difference. It is our hope that other companies in our industry will join us to improve the environment that we all share."

The program is available now to Dell’s U.S. consumer customers and will be available to global customers in April.

"Dell is taking significant and inspired leadership toward ecologically intelligent design by initiating the responsible return of its products and its Plant a Tree for Me program. It’s a very exciting time; both programs represent delightful strategies of hope for the clean and green future," said William McDonough, author of "Cradle to Cradle" and an internationally recognized environmental expert.

The tree planting program isn’t the only green measure the company has implemented however. In December 2006 Dell upgraded its global computer recycling program to offer free recycling on all Dell branded equipment, and free recycling of computer equipment of any brand with the purchase of new Dell products. The company says its gaol is to recover 125 million kilograms of product from customers by 2009.

Greenpeace ranks Dell as number two on its list of “Green” companies, and it leads the computer industry.

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