Employees Tuesday were greeted with the oversized message on HP 's rooftop as Greenpeace charged that HP broke a promise to remove polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVCs) and brominated fire retardants (BFRs) from its manufacturing process and products. Along with the painted message, employees received automated-message calls from actor William Shatner asking the company to phase out the hazardous materials.

"You, HP, promised me a toxic-free computer by 2009. Now my friends at Greenpeace tell me I have to wait until 2011. What is up with that?" Shatner's message said. "Please ask your leader, Mark Hurd, to make computers free of toxic PVC plastic and brominated flame retardants just as Apple has done."

BFRs are flame retardants used in products to inhibit ignition and slow their combustion rate. BFRs and PVCs have toxic properties.

Putting On the Pressure

"This was to communicate to them that we will not sit around while they backtrack on their public promise to eliminate the chemicals," said Daniel Kessler, a Greenpeace spokesperson. He referred to an HP promise in 2007 that it would eliminate use of the chemicals by 2009.

HP had said previously it hasn't been able to deliver on its promise because of the lack of suitable alternatives.

In the last decade, HP has eliminated most uses of PVCs and BFRs from products, but still uses specific BFRs in printed circuit boards because other alternatives are not available, according to the company.

"They say it is too hard and, unlike Apple, they make more products and have a variety of excuses," Kessler said. "As the largest player in the industry, they need to lead by example."

Setting the Pace

Greenpeace believes that once HP eliminates the chemicals, other manufacturers, including Dell, Acer and Lenovo, will do the same.

Apple vowed in 2007 to be greener and reached its goal to eliminate BFRs and PVCs by the end of 2008. Dell and Lenovo said they also plan to eliminate the chemicals.

"Once HP does what is right, {other companies} will not have HP to hide behind," Kessler said.

As for the future, Kessler would not say what kind of action Greenpeace is willing to take to keep the focus on HP. But he did say, "Rest assured we will not back down on our efforts."

Making Good Progress

In response to our request for comment, HP spokesperson Pamela Bonney said, "The unconstructive antics at HP's headquarters today did nothing to advance the goals that all who care about the environment share."

Bonney said HP is working to improve its environmental performance.

"This committment includes reducing the use of BFR/PVC in our products until these materials are eliminated entirely," Bonney said. "HP has introduced several new computing products this year that use less BFR/PVC than previous generations."

By fall 2010, Bonney confirmed, HP plans that all new commercial PC products released will be BFR/PVC free, and by the end of 2011, all new PC products released will be free of BFR/PVCs.