Dell Inc. recently announced its goal of having a completely waste-free packaging stream by 2020.
Currently more than half of Dell's packaging uses sustainable materials and can be recycled, according to a company news release.
The company continues to work toward its goal of ensuring that, by 2020, 100 percent of its packaging is either recyclable or compostable at end-of-life, and that the packaging will be made completely out of recycled or renewable materials.
Dell also announced its use of wheat straw, a new sustainable material, in many of its cardboard boxes for notebooks originating in China, the report said. Beginning in August, the boxes will be made up of 15 percent straw, while the other 85 percent will be made from recycled content fiber.
The use of the straw could alleviate approximately 180 tons of CO2 emissions annually, according to the report.
Last year, the company was able to eliminate more than 20 million pounds of packaging material from the waste stream by reducing packaging size, increasing the amount of recycled material used, and ensuring that up to 75 percent of its packaging could be recycled curbside, the report said.
"Packaging is often the first part of our products that customers see and touch," said Oliver Campbell, director of packaging procurement at Dell, in a statement. "From that first interaction, we want to ensure our customers know we're dedicated to operating in an environmentally responsible manner, and we want to make it easier for them to be sustainable as well."
