HP aspires to a world where our products and operations use materials and chemicals that cause no harm. We take a science-based approach to assessing the potential human health and environmental impacts of substances used in making HP products. We engage with our suppliers to strengthen knowledge and best practices in health and safety.


For more than two decades, we have worked to move the electronics industry toward safer alternatives to materials of concern. We assess published lists of substances of concern, customer preferences, new or upcoming legal requirements, and sound scientific analysis that reveals a potential impact on human health or the environment. This approach also improves circularity by increasing the reusability and recyclability of our products.


The HP Materials and Chemical Management Policy guides how we specify materials and chemicals for use in products, packaging, and manufacturing processes. This policy applies to all HP employees and businesses worldwide and extends to HP’s suppliers.


We developed our General Specification for the Environment (GSE) in 1998. It includes a full list of our material restrictions for products, packaging, and manufacturing process chemicals. The GSE goes beyond worldwide regulatory requirements and is updated annually. HP is committed to compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including material restriction requirements under the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) legislation.


When exploring safer alternatives to materials currently in use, we follow a precautionary approach, use the National Academy of Sciences publication A Framework to Guide Selection of Chemical Alternatives, and incorporate the GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals methodology. We screen all ingredients in HP-formulated inks using the GreenScreen methodology, as part of our new product development process.


We also contribute to standards, legislation, and improved approaches to the use of materials in the IT sector. In 2021, we became a Founding Signatory of the Toward Zero Exposure program by Green America’s Clean Electronics Production Network (CEPN), to protect workers from chemical hazards in the electronics supply chain.


We continually innovate to reduce the use of materials of concern. Highlights in 2021 included:

  • 83% of personal systems product series are low halogen1
  • 45% of EPEAT® registered personal systems products contain GreenScreen Benchmark 2 or 3 plasticizers and flame retardants2
  • About 79% of InkJet printers were shipped without USB cords and many of the others were shipped with shorter cords, avoiding approximately 34 million meters of cords


See key milestones in our Green Chemistry Timeline at https://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/getpdf.aspx/c06048911.pdf.


To see a copy of HP materials and chemical management policy, please go to https://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c05354207.


To learn more about the HP General Specification for the Environment program, see http://www.hp.com/go/sustainability_gse.


For more information, please see the 2021 HP Sustainable Impact Report at www.hp.com/go/report.


1 This is the percentage of product series shipping with product models that have low-halogen printed circuit boards and plastic parts weighing more than 25 grams.

2 For 2021, we improved the calculation methodology for this data point to reflect the number of EPEAT®-registered product models for which GreenScreen Benchmark (BM) 2 or 3 plasticizers and flame retardants are used divided by the total number of EPEAT®-registered product models. The prior calculation methodology counted each product-country combination for which GreenScreen BM 2 or 3 plasticizers and flame retardants are used. According to the revised methodology, the 2020 data is 34% (compared to 49% reported previously).