Dell Calls on Rivals to Help Clean Up The Ocean

The challenge may seem overwhelming: Roughly 8 million tons of plastic waste enters the oceans each year, and there will be more plastic than fish by 2050 if we do nothing. But a battle is brewing against ocean plastics, and one tech giant is urging other corporations to join the fight.

Dell has taken the first step in commercially scaling an ocean plastics recycling program. This summer, the Round Rock, Texas–based technology company began shipping its new XPS 13 laptop in packaging trays made from 25 percent marine plastic, or, more accurately, plastic that was collected from waterways in Haiti before it reached the open sea. (The other 75 percent is recycled plastic of the high-density polyurethane sort.)

In all, the new program — for which Dell teamed up with actor and environmental activist Adrian Grenier and his Lonely Whale Foundation — will capture 16,000 pounds of plastic this year. The company says the program is cost effective and now hopes to increase that amount to 20,000 pounds next year. In addition, Dell plans to continue exploring other ways these materials can be used for packaging and possibly products.

This is all good news, though still a proverbial drop in the plastic bucket — hence, the call to action.