Huge Successes in Green Computing  E-mail
Written by Hank Green   
Tuesday, 17 July 2007


Who would have thought that a little sticker would be the most significant advancement in green computing of 2006. Of course, there's a lot of knowledge and money behind these little stickers, but the results of the first 6 months of EPEAT certifications are in. And it looks to be quite good news.

EPEAT basically certifies electronic equipment with a bronze, silver or gold rating based on a number of environmental standards. How long does the product last, can it be recycled, will it be recycled, does it contain hazardous substances? All of these questions and more are asked and answered by the people at EPEAT. Only two computers, so far, have been rated EPEAT gold. But as manufacturers strive to get their little stickers (and publish press releases) the world is becoming a cleaner place.

So far, EPEAT certified computers, when compared with non-certified machines, have:

  • Saved 13.7 billion kWh of electricity
  • Saved 24.4 million metric tons of materials
  • Prevented 56.5 million metric tons of air pollution
  • Prevented 118,000 metric tons of water pollution;
  • Reduced toxic material use by 1,070 metric tons
  • Avoided the disposal of 41,100 metric tons of hazardous waste

And those numbers are just for the last half of 2006. All for the want of a little sticker, electronics companies are cleaning up their acts. Hopefully it won't be long before EPEAT has to introduce a new "platinum" medal, because too many folks are already getting golds.

See Also:
-HP Gets EPEAT Gold-

Comments (5)add
Greenpeace Ranking
written by Salvatore Barbera , July 20, 2007
It looks like the electronics industry changed its attitude towards environmental issues in the last years. Epeat certification have been important in this process but we can't forget the role of Greenpeace that has been running an international campaign for a Greener industry since last August. Greenpeace Ranking guide, www.greenpeace.org/electronicsranking4, is based on different criteria reflecting two simple demands:
- clean up their products by eliminating hazardous substances;
- takeback and recycle their products responsibly once they become obsolete.
It gives, due to different criteria, different results. Anyway both rankings are pushing the electronics industry to improve their environmental policy.
Amazing
written by Garrett , July 21, 2007
Great post...once you see that number quantified like that, it's crazy how much energy out there is waiting to be saved.
Greenpeace
written by Firm , July 26, 2007
Great post
...
written by камаз , August 03, 2007
Great! very!
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written by הדפסה על קנבס , August 05, 2007
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Hank Green
About the author:

Hank Green is the founder and chief geek at EcoGeek.org. Aside from being obsessed with saving the planet with technology, he loves to write and make videos. If you want to find out more about him, visit hankgreen.com

 
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