HP claims to have recycled over 113,000 tonnes of hardware and print cartridges in fiscal 2007, an increase of approximately 50 per cent over the previous year.

The company also managed to reuse around 29,000 tonnes of hardware for resale or donation, increasing its annual reuse rate by 30 per cent.

These impressive figures helped HP to surpass 453,000 tonnes of IT equipment recycled to date, and the firm is well on its way to reaching a new goal to recycle 906,000 tonnes by the end of 2010.

"HP set the most aggressive recovery goal in the IT industry and we are on track to meet it," said Pat Tiernan, vice president of corporate, social and environmental responsibility at HP.

"This progress demonstrates our success in offering convenient and comprehensive recovery services around the world and is another milestone in HP's longstanding environmental commitment."

HP doubled the amount it recycled in EMEA in 2007 compared with 2006 to 77,000 tonnes of equipment.

The company recycled around 29,000 tonnes of equipment in the US and South America last year, and 5,000 tonnes in Asia Pacific.