HP CEO Hurd Says Green "Enhances" IT Price and PerformanceHP CEO Hurd Says Green "Enhances" IT Price and Performance

Hewlett-Packard's strong man has offered up some strong words about the business benefits of green computing.In one of the most aggressive stances yet on marrying computer manufacturing and environmental awareness, HP CEO Mark Hurd recently offered this blunt assessment: "Environmental responsibility is good business. We've reached the tipping point where the price and performance of IT are no longer compromised by being green, but are now enhanced by it." Strong words indeed -- can HP back up that claim? Hurd's bold comment came as HP announced it has recycled 1 billion pounds of electronics in the 20 years since it launched the program, which the company said now operates in more than "40 countries, regions, and territories." And if you believe that inanimate objects can have, well, second life, then perhaps you'll recognize within some common household products a dash of disk drive, a touch of tray, or even a nip of notebook: "Plastics and metals recovered from products recycled by HP have been used to make a range of new products, including auto body parts, clothes hangers, plastic toys, fence posts, serving trays, and roof tiles," the company said in a statement.