Jun 11, 2024

HP has cut expanded polyethylene use by up to 98% for its All-in-One PC packaging.

In 2023 the company released a comprehensive overhaul of the computer line’s packaging, prioritizing the use of the sustainable materials consumers demand, while also rightsizing the packaging to minimize waste and boost transport efficiency.

“It’s no longer just a fashionable thing to be sustainable,” says Darrick Christensen, packaging design and procurement manager at HP. “Everyone wants to contribute to using sustainable materials and minimizing our negative impact on our world.”

One of the most noticeable changes in HP’s All-in-One PC package redesign is the move away from plastics like expanded polyethylene (EPE), which predominantly made up the legacy packaging.

“Fiber-based materials are one of the most recycled materials on the planet. There are good recycling streams, and we want to see our packaging be recycled and reused in that manner,” explains Christensen. He adds that HP wanted the packaging to be “easily dropped into a recycling bin, so it will have the highest probability of being recycled.”

To accomplish this, HP utilized a combination of recycled corrugated, paperboard, and molded pulp, with a small amount of 90 to 100% recycled EPE foam where necessary.

In all, the new packaging uses around five grams of EPE. That’s around 98% less EPE than the previous 24-in. model’s packaging and about 91% less than the previous 27-in. model.

Also integral to the new packaging’s sustainability credentials is its optimized sizing to reduce waste and boost efficiency in logistics.

“For us, shipping air in our packaging is the great evil,” says Christensen. “We want everything to be as efficient as possible, while of course utilizing sustainable materials.”

The team at HP adjusted the design of the product itself to capture this efficiency. By redesigning the stand so it could detach from the head unit, HP was able to lay it flat in the packaging. This allowed for a roughly 45% reduction in packaging size for the 24-in. model and a reduction of about 67% for the 27-in. model, compared to the legacy packaging.

As a result, the company was able to increase the product’s pallet density by 66% for the 24-in. model, and 133% for the 27-in. model.