Dell Computer has long been glad to tally the number of PCs it ships to customers. Now it's going to count up those it takes back.

The Round Rock, Texas, PC maker on Tuesday said it was working with the Calvert Group, a firm that offers "socially responsible" mutual funds, and several likeminded groups to set goals for and then publish the results of its product recycling program.

Dell said it will set those goals by March 2004 and then begin publishing results from its program via its Web site and in an environmental report it issues annually.

The move to set goals and make results public is a step forward for environmentalists, who are concerned about the amount of waste generated by the high-tech industry, said Julie Frieder, environmental analyst at Calvert. The mutual fund company began prodding Dell about recycling last year, saying that failure to address the potential "e-waste" hazards posed risks and liabilities that could hurt shareholders.

So far, PC recycling has had a lackluster track record, with estimates showing that only between 10 percent and 30 percent of PCs sold annually are being recycled, said Cathie Hargett, a Dell representative. Dell, which has sold tens of millions of PCs since its inception, said last month that it has only recycled 2 million PCs in the 12 years since it began its first recycling program.

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