| |
Milestones in CTBC's DELL Campaign |
| 2001 |
Computer TakeBack Campaign forms. |
| Nov 2001 |
CTBC's releases 2001 Computer Report Card rating Dell as industry laggard, even though Dell was market share leader. CTBC calls on Dell to offer free takeback to consumers. |
| Mar 2002 |
CTBC begins Dell campaign with student organizing.
Report published: “Dude, Why Won’t They Take Back My Old Dell” aimed at students, spoofing Dell's "Steven the Dude" ad campaign.
Grassroot Recycling Network (GRRN) and Eco-Pledge begin campus student organizing, with postcard drive sent to Michael Dell. |
| May 2002 |
Dell announces program allowing consumers to mail back, at their own cost, used equipment to Dell for recycling. But Dell’s program is a partnership with UNICOR, the federal prison industries
|
| June 2002 |
Dell meets with CTBC representatives in Austin. At this point, Dell assigns public relations person as key contact.
|
| July 2002 |
Dell’s annual shareholder meeting features multiple questions from the floor about take back programs; Texas Campaign for the Environment meets face to face with Michael Dell where he tells them he has not seen the consumer demand for take back programs
|
| Sept 2002 |
Launch of Toxic Dude website for student organizing campaign, spoofing Dell's "Steven the Dude" ad campaign. |
| Sept 2002 |
Socially Responsible Investment firms (SRIs) begin to dialog with Dell.
Dell commences its consumer-paid mail-back program;
|
| Oct 2002 |
Dell drops the Steven the Dude ad campaign. |
| Jan 2003 |
 CTBC brings Prison Chain Gang to International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (where Michael Dell was a keynote speaker) to protest Dell's use of prison labor for recycling.
Event gets global press coverage.
Dell requests and meets with CTBC leadership
- Dell, other manufacturers team up with EPA in voluntary Plug Into E-Cycling program
|
| Feb 2003 |
Dell introduces new VP of Sustainable Business position to coordinate aspects of e-waste and sustainable business practices. |
| Mar 2003 |
- CTBC launches new website www.computertakeback.com.
- CTBC sends Dell formal request to end use of prison labor
- Dell partners with National Recycling Coalition and announces one-day collection events in 5 cities
- Dell starts marketing Dell-branded printers and offers to take back a printer for free
|
| April 2003 |
CTBC organizes protests at Dell's initial one day collection events, calling on Dell to provide ongoing free takeback.
|
| May 2003 |
 Texas Campaign for the Environment brings its "Prison Fashion Show" to Susan Dell's new dress boutique
|
| May to July 2003 |
CTBC organizes more protests when Dell extends one-day collection events to 10 more cities (May – July) |
 |
June
to
July
2003
|
SVTC, CTBC release “Tale of Two Systems” report, contrasting Dell’s use of prison labor for recycling to HP’s contract with MicroMetallics, a free market firm. Issue gains national media coverage on use of prison labor for electronics recycling
One week later, Dell announces that it will drop its prison recycling partnership |
| July 2003 |
CTBC begins "Hard Drive Across the West," collecting Dell E-Waste in 5 western cities from Seattle to Austin, TX, to deliver it to Dell’s 2003 Annual Meeting.
|
 Texas Campaign for the Environment organizes a dozen Austin religious leaders to sign Open Letter to Michael Dell that was placed as a full-page ad in local paper.
CTBC questions Michael Dell at shareholder meeting about takeback program and prison labor system.
Dell ends relationship with UNICOR prison system.
Dell announces new equipment recovery program requiring consumers to pay a significant back-end fee to recycle their obsolete equipment, but adds limited time 99 cents recycling offer around the time of the Annual Meeting
|
| Sept 2003 to May 2004 |
CTBC communicates to Dell the essential elements of its bottom line, commencing discussion with company management around the principles of extended producer responsibility and the details of measuring the company’s progress toward producer responsibility |
| Oct 2003 |
Pat Nathan, Dell’s Sustainable Business Director announces support for producer responsibility approach at national E-Scrap Conference and credits CTBC for moving company to that position. HP also voices support for EPR on same panel. |
| Nov 2003 |
CTBC begins development of Principles of Producer Responsiblity |
| Nov 2003 |
CTBC leaders Robin Schneider, Ted Smith and David Wood meet with Dell’s management team responsible for legal affairs, product recovery and recycling, environmental design, and sustainability. |
| Dec 2003 |
CTBC leaders Robin Schneider, Ted Smith and David Wood meet in person with Michael Dell at the company’s headquarters in Austin, TX to discuss the Campaign’s goals and his company’s progress and plans. |
| |
GrassRoots Recycling Network takes out full page ad in weekly Austin Chronicle on behalf of 153 college student organizations from all 50 states, publishing an open letter to Michael Dell calling on him to declare his company’s support for the “Take it Back, Make it Clean, Recycle responsibly” platform |
| Jan 2004 |
Michael Dell, in his speech at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show, spends 7 minutes of the prepared 42 minute remarks talking about environmental impacts of consumer electronics, product recycling, the EU’s RoHS Directive, and the programs in place (and in planning) at his company to begin addressing the e-waste issue. Texas Campaign for the Environment invited to speak at Dell E-Waste workshop in Austin to explain EPR. |
| April |
Michael Dell and GRRN organize and hold an hour-long, live teleconference and webcast giving college students from around the country the opportunity to engage directly with the CEO; students from 40 campuses participated in the teleconference. |
| May 2004 |
HP and Dell agree to support for and agreement to a negotiated version of the Statement of Principles for Producer Responsibility.
Dell announces pilot program to take back computers for free from customers buying new Dell equipment. |
| Feb 2006 |
Dell backslides on commitment to producer responsibility policy, say it opposes all "mandated" programs. CTBC and Socially Responsible Investment firms pressure Dell to support takeback policy in the states. |
| June 2006 |
Apple launches free takeback program for customers buying new Apple system, with many restrictions. |
Aug 2006
|
Dell announces is does support producer responsibility legislation, and that it will start new global takeback program. Dell develops model state legislation.
|
| Oct & Nov |
Dell launches new free takeback program - taking back ANY Dell branded product for free, even without purchase, globally.
|
