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BRAVO David Wood !!! Bravo to Ted and Robin !!! And all your helpers! This is a big deal, and once again GRRN has been in the center of the push to move a mountain, just like we did Coke! For me, this represents another huge step in the right direction and convinces me that "producer responsibility" is that much closer to becoming a real issue for big business to put on their radar screens. Well Done to All !!! Eric Lombardi Executive Director Eco-Cycle, Inc Boulder, CO 303-444-6634 www.ecocycle.org "Recycling may not save the world, but the recycling spirit might." -----Original Message----- From: David Wood [mailto:david@no.address] Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 10:26 AM To: greenyes@no.address Subject: [greenyes] Michael Dell responds to students; Dell, GRRN prepare 4/26 student teleconference FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 6, 2004 Contact: David Wood, 608-347-7043 Clare Cragan, 847-951-4293 Michael Dell issues public reply to students' 'take it back, make it clean, recycle responsibly' demand Dell and GRRN prepare April 26 national campus e-waste webcast teleconference Madison, WI - Michael Dell, founder, Chairman and out-going CEO of Dell, Inc. today responded to a full-page ad sponsored by GrassRoots Recycling Network (GRRN, www.grrn.org <http://www.grrn.org/> ) on behalf of over 150 college campus groups from all 50 states, stating his company's position on the students' demand to address the growing problem of e-waste - discarded computers and consumer electronics. The GRRN-organized student ad, published in the December 18, 2003 Austin Chronicle called on Dell to lead his industry by taking back all old equipment, phasing out the use of hazardous materials, and supporting environmentally superior equipment recycling systems. The letter stated progress made by the company in each of the areas of student concern, providing specific examples of policies implemented and programs underway. Dell's emerging relationship with the environmental community has offered his company the "opportunity to make a positive environmental impact in our global communities." The letter can be viewed at http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/corporate/environ/Dell%20Open%20Let ter.pdf. "We are encouraged by Michael Dell's statements, which indicate that his company is taking action beyond what is visible to the general public," said Clare Cragan, UW-Madison senior and lead GRRN intern on the Computer TakeBack Campaign. "We are impressed that the CEO of a Fortune 500 company recognizes the importance of responding directly to public concerns. On behalf of the thousands of students from all 50 states we have organized, I say 'thank you' for opening a dialog." Moreover, and perhaps more significantly, Dell and GRRN have put in motion plans for a national web-based video- and tele-conference for Michael Dell to engage directly and personally with students from across the country on their concerns and his company's plans. Scheduled for April 26, 2004, this unprecedented event indicates the company's willingness to be held publicly accountable and make progress toward solutions rather than battle over the problem. Details on the event are under development. "This is a watershed moment in the effort to promote corporate accountability for waste and a clear indication that organized pressure in the market can positively influence corporations and their management," says David Wood, Executive Director of GRRN and organizing director of the Computer TakeBack Campaign. "Michael Dell deserves recognition for his leadership in steering his company and it resources toward meaningful change." "Students involved with the Computer TakeBack Campaign have made tremendous progress educating their communities about e-waste and the producer responsibility solution," added Kara Reeve of Clean Water Fund in New England. Dell's open letter acknowledged the recent meeting he held with co-coordinators of the Computer TakeBack Campaign, GRRN Executive Director David Wood, Ted Smith of Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, and Robin Schneider of Texas Campaign for the Environment. Since early 2002, Dell has been the target of organizing by the national Computer TakeBack Campaign (www.computertakeback.com <http://www.computertakeback.com/> ). Dell was selected not only for its significant market share but also because the company's direct-to-consumer sales model uniquely positioned it, campaigner leaders believed, to embrace producer responsibility and transform that into a business strategy. "Michael Dell's recent statements about e-waste and his company's plans indicate that our assessment was right, that for Dell the solution to this growing environmental problem presents opportunities to grow market share, diversify the bundle of services offered to consumers, and enhance customer loyalty," continues GRRN's Wood. "Market leaders Dell and HP will likely enhance their relative positions by acting strategically on the e-waste problem and creating competitive environmental pressures in the marketplace." The list of campus groups participating in the December open letter to Dell can be found on the student campaign website, www.toxicdude.com <http://www.toxicdude.com/> . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ David Wood Executive Director, GrassRoots Recycling Network Organizing Director, Computer TakeBack Campaign 210 N. Bassett St., Suite 200 Madison WI 53703 608-255-4800, ext. 100 608-347-7043 (cell) david@no.address |
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