DocumentCode :
2256391
Title :
Assessing the results of a worldwide packaging takeback system
Author :
Jimison, Elizabeth ; Pennington, Ed. ; Matthews, H. Scott
Author_Institution :
Environ. Stewardship, Quantum Corp., Milpitas, CA, USA
fYear :
2000
fDate :
2000
Firstpage :
243
Lastpage :
247
Abstract :
Quantum Corporation, a computer storage products company, designed a new packaging system for their bulk hard disk drive product shipped to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The system involves a packaging design with a smaller environmental footprint and, more significantly, collection and reuse of the used packaging from OEM sites worldwide. The general analysis of the new packaging system is that of a traditional investment problem, with up front costs in terms of redesign, program rollout, etc., and expected savings over time from reduced use of packaging. Although some cost savings are expected once collection of used packaging replaces a threshold amount of new packaging purchases, costs of implementation were generally higher than predicted, and participation has been slower. The program should reduce package material costs by 30% at long-run peak usage. Because one of the primary drivers for the new system was to reduce environmental damages, the life cycle impacts of switching to the new packaging system were estimated using Carnegie Mellon University´s Life Cycle Assessment method. The associated life cycle impacts suggest that energy and global warming emissions will be reduced by about 40%. This is significant because use of transportation networks will be increased with takeback
Keywords :
disc drives; economics; environmental factors; hard discs; packaging; Carnegie Mellon University; Life Cycle Assessment method; Quantum Corporation; bulk hard disk drive product; computer storage products company; cost savings; energy reduction; environmental damage reduction; environmental footprint; global warming emissions reduction; investment problem; life cycle impact; packaging takeback system; program rollout; redesign; up front costs; used packaging collection; used packaging reuse; Computer aided manufacturing; Costs; Global warming; Hard disks; Investments; Life estimation; Packaging machines; Product design; Quantum computing; Transportation;
fLanguage :
English
Publisher :
ieee
Conference_Titel :
Electronics and the Environment, 2000. ISEE 2000. Proceedings of the 2000 IEEE International Symposium on
Conference_Location :
San Francisco, CA
ISSN :
1095-2020
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5962-3
Type :
conf
DOI :
10.1109/ISEE.2000.857656
Filename :
857656
Link To Document :
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