DELL Inc announced yesterday that it will recycle its old products for free in China beginning November, the Beijing Times reported today.

 

It will be the first time that Dell recycles products in China, as its previous recycling only took place in other countries.

 

Dell will scrap its previous worldwide terms of service from November which stipulated that users had to buy new Dell products before having their old products recycled.

 

Dell's president said it is Dell's responsibility to recycle all products that it sells and produces. Its sales model establishes direct relationships between Dell and its users, which enables the company to recycle products for free. Dell also advocates other companies to recycle products.

 

Dell plans to promote the service in the United States in September and expand to all countries, including China. The detailed schedule in China will be published before November, an official of Dell said.

 

China has drafted new guidelines to control the spread of electronic waste in a move consistent with practices in many developed countries.

 

The guidelines are expected to go into effect on March 1 next year, the Ministry of Information Industry said in March.

 

Mobile phones, computers and other electronic products that contain dangerous materials will have to carry a disposal warning tag under the regulations.

 

"The guideline will help us protect the environment and boost the e-waste recycling industry in China," the ministry said.

 

Every year, China throws away at least 5 million television sets, 4 million refrigerators, 5 million washing machines, 5 million computers and millions of cell phones.

 

Nokia, Motorola and China Mobile have already taken steps to recycle their used phones nationwide by collecting them at their outlets.

 

Apple Computer Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. also announced their recycling plans several days ago.

 

Foreign firms such as Finland-based Samill Recycling and Singapore-listed Citiraya are building e-waste recycling plants in China.

 

(Shanghai Daily June 30, 2006)