HP “Print Chairs” are durable school chairs made from recycled HP ink and toner cartridges. They were created to address a very practical challenge in Colombian schools: many children have no proper place to sit. Government reports show that thousands of students are studying on broken furniture or even on the floor, especially in remote and rural areas where resources are limited.

By turning used, original HP cartridges into chairs, HP is reimagining how plastic waste can be used. The goal is twofold:

• Improve learning conditions by giving students a safe, dignified place to sit and study, which helps reduce school absence rates.
• Reduce environmental impact by repurposing plastic that might otherwise become waste.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to rethink how materials are used, combining environmental responsibility with social impact in local communities.

HP uses a dedicated recycling hub in Colombia to collect and process used, original HP ink cartridges. The plastics and other materials from these cartridges are then transformed into components for school chairs.

This work is done in partnership with the Recupera Tu Silla Foundation and the Colombia Military. Together, they manage the logistics, production, and delivery of the chairs to schools across the country.

So far, the program has:

• Transformed more than six tons of plastic into over 600 chairs for students in Colombian communities.
• Committed to doubling its impact and reach over the next year by delivering more chairs to additional schools.

As María Angélica Sánchez from Recupera Tu Silla notes, the real change is not just the recycled plastic itself, but the way a simple, safe chair can improve children’s self-esteem and their overall educational experience.

The Print Chairs initiative is one example of how HP is rethinking materials and product lifecycles as part of a broader sustainability strategy.

Key data points from HP’s wider efforts include:

• More than one billion HP print cartridges have been returned to the HP Planet Partners recycling program as of December 31, 2022.
• In 2023, over 95% of home and office printers, laptops, notebooks, displays, and workstations shipped to customers included recycled materials.

These actions respond to a global challenge: the world generates over 350 million metric tons of plastic every year. By repurposing materials into new products—like school chairs—HP aims to reduce waste and create value for both the planet and local communities.

HP’s leadership has emphasized that success is measured not only by products and profits, but also by contributions to society. Programs like Print Chairs reflect that focus, helping HP move toward its ambition to be one of the world’s most sustainable and just technology companies.