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The rapid proliferation of electronic products, which accelerated from the 1980's onward, has led to an increase in the volume of obsolete products for disposal. This resulted in large volumes of electronics showing up at municipal landfills, leading to global collaboration to promote producer responsibility for proper disposition and recycling of electronic products. Electronic waste is a particular concern, as it's both Cisco's most significant waste stream and the fastest growing type of global waste. According to the UN Environmental Program, the global e-waste stream is soon to reach 50 million tonnes annually. Cisco as a globally responsible producer of electronic products provides end-of-life programs that reduce the overall impact on the environment. These end-of-life programs are designed to reuse or harvest the material commodities contained in the equipment collected and return those materials to the market where they are made into new products. Over 99% of the electronics sent for processing are recycled. This promotes efficient and sustainable production and consumption. The Cisco Takeback and Recycle Program enables businesses and consumers to properly dispose of surplus products that have reached their end-of-useful-life. The Program is open to all users of Cisco equipment and its associated brands and subsidiaries. Legislative and environmental factors, combined with the desire to implement the latest technology, present many companies with the challenge of managing technology surpluses. Under the Cisco Takeback and Recycle Program:
On request, Cisco can provide a Certificate of Destruction that releases the customer from further liability for equipment returned through the Cisco Takeback and Recycle Program. |