Our policies and standards set forth mandatory baseline requirements which all of our suppliers need to meet to be able to do business with HP. Fundamental to these policies is the understanding that a business, in all of its activities, must operate in full compliance with the laws, rules and regulations of the countries in which it operates. We encourage suppliers to go beyond legal compliance, drawing upon internationally recognized standards, in order to advance social and environmental responsibility in their business practices. Where HP’s policies and national or local laws have requirements for the same subject matter, suppliers shall meet the more stringent requirements. The HP Code is a total supply chain requirement, including supplies manufacturers. At minimum, suppliers shall require their next tier suppliers to acknowledge and implement the HP Code and cascade the HP Code down to their sub-tier Suppliers. The requirements apply to all workers including temporary, migrant, student, contract, direct employees, and any other type of worker.


Our extensive engagement with suppliers continues via audits, targeted assessments, and monthly KPI tracking. Results from these engagements allow our program to iden­tify and prioritize existing and emerging issues in the supply chain. HP then addresses risk and drives supplier improvement through targeted capability building, remediation, and industry collaboration. We evaluate how well our suppliers perform on social and environmental metrics using a Sustainability Scorecard which factors into a supplier’s performance management score.

We promote sustainable manufacturing practices by:

  • Requiring our suppliers to follow the Supplier Code of Conduct, and auditing program. The Code of Conduct requires suppliers to have proper management systems to inventory substances, eliminate or manage hazardous substances, and provide appropriate personal protective equipment and training to workers.
  • Working to move the electronics industry toward zero exposure to hazardous substances in the manufacturing process by participating in Green America’s Clean Electronics Production Network. Included in this work is creating case studies for priority substances that include safer alternatives, a pilot program for more comprehensive monitoring of worker exposure, and a common standard for reporting substances used.
  • Using the GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals to identify alternatives with a lower impact to human health and the environment. HP was the first electronics company to have staff certified through the GreenScreen Practitioners program.
  • Recycling materials into new products introducing new closed loop processes. Our leadership with closed loop plastics recycling began in 2005 with the recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) program in ink cartridges. 
  • Our paper dries quickly for easy handling, and you support responsible forest practices using paper made from FSC-certified fiber. Conserve resources by recycling—our paper can be recycled in consumer collection systems that accept mixed paper.


With nearly half of our carbon footprint coming from our supply chain, we recognize the importance of partnering with our suppliers to reduce their environmental impact in order to create a more resilient supply chain. We collaborate closely with our production and nonproduction suppliers to drive low-carbon and resource-efficient transformation throughout the value chain, and we offer targeted programs to help suppliers gain capabilities and make lasting improvements.

The suppliers manufacturing the products relevant to this contract receive regular guidance of HP’s social and environmental requirements and we collaborate to meet new and emerging expectations of greenhouse gas emission, water efficiency, and proper waste disposal.  HP has round table discussions with suppliers to assure that they not only understand our expectations but increase their capacity to meet them. For example, every 2 years, we host an environmental summit in China with over 40 suppliers, including companies in the sub-tier, to share best practices and set short term environmental goals. While we focus in many aspects of reducing and mitigating environmental impact, greenhouse gas emissions reductions has been a priority for HP for many years. In 2019, we were awarded with the Supplier Engagement leader award, given to only 2% of companies who use the platform. Our suppliers progress in reducing environmental impact led us to also gain a spot on the Supplier Climate and Water A lists. We look forward to continuing engaging suppliers to explore how they can creatively eliminate pollution and emissions while also creating savings for their companies and for HP.