Greenpeace activists urge Wipro to apply thought.
In September 2005, Greenpeace exhorted Wipro to 'Apply Thought,'
shift to clean production and take responsibility for the tons of
toxic electronic waste they have generated over the years. With 500
kilos of Wipro's electronic waste, we presented a convincing
argument of the need for change, and of Wipro's role in the
unfolding toxic crisis.
Ten weeks later, Wipro showed it is, indeed, capable of leading
the industry towards positive change. In a meeting with Greenpeace
campaigners, senior Wipro officials have committed to creating a
road-map for 'Clean Production' within the next six months, and
assured us that in the meantime they will set up systems to ensure
they take back their e-waste.
How clean is clean?
International companies like Sony, Samsung and LG have already
shown that it is possible to substitute harmful chemicals with safe
alternatives. We want Wipro, with its growing stature as an Indian
MNC, to occupy a similar position of pride in our international
Hall of Fame.
Wipro's indication that it is ready to move towards clean
production is welcome, however, at present they're only talking
about the basic initial steps towards clean production. We're not
going to be fobbed off with half-hearted promises - if Wipro says
it is committed to clean production, we expect it to go all the
way, and commit to eliminate all
OSPAR chemicals from their products. As a reminder, we have
handed over this list to the senior Wipro officials who met us.
What about the waste?
In September, we asked Wipro if they had a policy to take-back
end of life computers. They said, "Yes, but only if you're buying
another Wipro computer." An exchange policy, you see, only if
you're upgrading to a bigger, better (more expensive?) Wipro
product. Not quite what we would call Extended Producer
Responsibility, and we told them so.
But Wipro is set to surprise us yet again - they've taken up our
challenge with appropriate seriousness, and responded with a plan
that they have said would be implemented in the near future.
Apart from informing their customers, Wipro has committed to
send all its waste only to authorized recycling yards. (They've
been rapped on the knuckles by the Pollution Control Board for
earlier transgressions on this count!)
They have even gone so far as to say they'll consider a
commercial buy-back deal for some of their customers. Undoubtedly,
this will make Wipro products an easier choice for organizational
purchasers.
But we're not celebrating just yet; for one, this is just a
statement that they concede our demands in principle. It will be
six months before we even see a concrete plan for action, one that
we can put under a microscope to see exactly how, and how much, it
will affect the ground realities of the grisly recycling yards.
Also, as one of the company officials admitted to us, Wipro
controls only 2 percent of the market share - for real change,
other companies must follow Wipro's example and take responsibility
for their share of the waste-stream.
On its part, Wipro has initiated discussions on manufacturers'
need to take back their end-of-life products, as well as on the
issue of clean production, at the Manufacturers' Association for
Information Technology (MAIT). It remains to be seen how responsive
and responsible MAIT shall prove to be, but a nodal agency has been
formed to respond to our persistent demands for clean production
and extended producer responsibility.
So if you're about to junk the PC you're reading this on - hang
in there for a while. The manufacturer might soon be held
responsible to ensure that it is given a safe and decent burial, at
a resting place that does not contaminate workers or the
environment.
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