Life cycle assessment: of an inkjet print cartridge

Hewlett-Packard´s Inkjet Business Unit (HP IJBU) designs and manufactures inkjet print cartridges for a wide variety of computer printers, plotters, facsimile machines and related equipment sold by Hewlett-Packard and other companies. In September 1994, HP IJBU undertook a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of it´s highest selling print cartridge. The project was conducted with the assistance of Ecobalance, Inc., the US branch of a worldwide LCA consulting firm. After six months of extensive work involving many of HP´s primary suppliers and over 100 HP people spread over the USA, Europe, and Asia, the project was completed. To the authors´ knowledge, this in-depth LCA of a consumable is one of the first in the computer industry. This paper covers the reasons for undertaking the study, the project findings, and how this information is being used