ROUND ROCK, TX:  Dell has partnered with supplier Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) to recycle excess carbon fiber and scrap raw materials into new Dell products beginning in late 2015.

Since 2013, the company has incorporated more than 21 million pounds of recycled plastics from sources including water bottles and CD cases as it continues to work towards a goal of using 50 million pounds of recycled materials by 2020.

The manufacturer estimates that by partnering with SABIC, reportedly the largest listed company in the Middle East with a 2014 turnover in excess of US$50 billion, it will prevent 820,000 pounds of carbon fiber from ending up in landfills. The recycled material has an 11 percent smaller carbon footprint than virgin carbon fiber.

Since Dell began pioneering its closed-loop recycled plastics supply chain in January 2014, the company has recycled 4.2 million pounds into more than 30 flat panel monitor models and three Dell OptiPlex desktops and has plans to scale across servers and other products in 2016. The company claims to be the only computer manufacturer to have a certified closed-loop supply chain.

"The technology industry has a unique responsibility to help shift the world to a circular economy model, and Dell's long standing investments in sustainable business puts us in a unique position to lead the way," said Trisa Thompson, vice president and chief responsibility officer at Dell. "We are always looking for collaborations that bring efficiencies to our business, and help our customers do the same."

Dell says it believes the circular economy will increasingly become a business imperative and that technology plays a critical role in enabling the transition. The company hopes to reduce the amount of waste and by-product created from technology manufacturing by reusing materials already in circulation and seeking renewable alternatives where they exist.

In recognition of that ongoing commitment, the manufacturer received the Green Electronics Council's '2015 Catalyst Award' last month. September also saw it join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Circular Economy 100 program.

As part of the CE100, Dell says it will work with global business leaders to develop new approaches on how companies manufacture goods, identify new partnership opportunities and contribute best practices that help businesses and society accelerate the shift to a circular economy.