• Recycle and Compost Your Packaging

      Nobody wants to be left with a lot of packaging waste. Still, you want your new product to arrive safely. At Dell, we’re committed to developing innovative solutions to solve these packaging challenges. We are constantly advancing our packaging approach — for example, by minimizing the size of boxes and improving our use of environment-friendly materials that can be returned to usefulness after a product arrives.

    • Many of our packaging materials are recyclable (depending on location), compostable or both

      The following information is meant to help you understand the packaging materials that accompanied your Dell product:

    Corrugated containers and boxes
    Recycle
    • Made with a minimum of 25 percent recycled cardboard (percentages may be higher in some regions)
    • Minimal printing/graphics on the box maximizes recyclability
    • Widely accepted for recycling around the world
    Packaging envelopes
    Recycle
    • Used for shipping parts and peripherals; they take up less space and create less waste than a rigid box
    • Made from paperboard that contains some recycled content
    • Often recyclable — check with your local program
    Bamboo cushions
    Recycle or compost
    • Recycles like cardboard — many recyclers will take them (check local guidelines)
    • Certified compostable by ASTM International standards
    • Learn more about our bamboo packaging
    Mushroom cushions
    Compost
    • Grown rather than made, using agricultural waste and mushroom spores
    • Used to cushion select server shipments
    • Certified compostable by ASTM International standards
    Molded paper-pulp cushions
    Recycle
    • Used to cushion larger products, such as desktops
    • Made from recycled newsprint and other paper sources
    • Usually recycles like cardboard — check with your local recycler
    HDPE cushions
    Recycles most places
    • Often made from recycled plastics, such as water bottles or milk jugs, to protect larger products
    • Carries the #2 recycling symbol, which is accepted in many places
    • After you recycle, they get turned into other recycled-content materials, such as plastic lumber and even more bottles
    EPE cushions
    Non-recyclable
    • Expanded polyethylene (EPE) is flexible foam used to protect some shipments
    • Not widely accepted for recycling
    Air Pack cushions
    Puncture to reduce use
    • Lightweight, inflated plastic cushions made of #4 plastic
    • May be accepted for recycling — check with your local recycler
    • Help minimize waste by puncturing
    Plastic bags
    Discard
    • Used to keep materials together
    • Generally not recyclable, unless your recycler takes plastic film
    • We continue to look for alternatives
    Shipping manifests and paper items
    Recycle
    • Includes shipping bills, marketing materials or instructions
    • Most paper products are recyclable
    • We use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified papers from FSC-certified forests whenever possible