Just what is a Green Computer and what are the benefits?

 

I've been quizzing myself and others on this very subject for years. Just what makes a computer Green. At the end of the day, no computers are Green, or to be more accurate not environmentally sound. The manufacturing of computers is not a nice process and the amounts produced each year is staggering, totalling over 200 million according to Worldometer, and Forrester research predicts that there will be over 2 billion computers in use worldwide by 2015.

With this in mind, what can we do to ensure the computer we buy uses the least amount of materials , energy and harmful substances. Well in a nutshell its not an easy job, as resellers and online websites dont make it easy for you to select the greenest product

A Green Computer should be:

 

 

Have the lowest total embodied carbon value possible. However do watch out for companies just carbon offsetting and not actually changing the way they manufacture products. A good example of a company that are doing their utmost is VeryPC. They do offset, but they also do their utmost to ensure the amount of embodied carbon is as low as possible. For instance, they use steel recycled in Sheffield and also aluminium produced in Iceland extracted using renewable energy and then transported by ship rather than plane. The whole product is then made in Sheffield.

 

Most online computer stores will have a product search tool that also allows you to see the product specification. In this list of information you should be able to find power consumption values, standards compliancy information, sizing and dimensions. However, you will not find details of whether a computers material is recyclable or recycled and what the packaging is. For this you will need to obtain the ECO IT Declaration certificate. This will give you more detailed information. If you want a green product then dont buy anything without one of these. Manufacturers such as HP have them listed alongside their products on their website and many others do the same.

Computers with better energy efficiency and lower power consumption will also have longer lives as it is the waste heat that reduces the lifespan of the product as there is often a greater instance of wear on the internal components due to excessive heat.

It is a tough task though, and as they say “Its not easy being Green”. Trying to do the right thing and trying to buy a more environmentally sound product can prove time consuming, but if we want to ensure that the impact of computers is reduced then we have to choose only green products. The more people that insist on greener options then the more the manufacturers will listen and make changes that make it easier to identify and purchase these products.