Green Machines
June 27th, 2006 by Vihar ShethPosted in Environment, Responsibility, Science
Awareness: Woo hoo! Good news yesterday regarding more environmentally friendly electronic devices. We all know (do we?) that our computers and cell phones contain a small amount of some very potent chemicals. While these chemicals are contain during normal operation of these devices they do get released into the environment after improper disposal of said items; improper disposal referring to the trash.
A study conducted for Greenpeace referenced in a BBC News article concluded that consumers are willing to spend up to $197 more for a PC containing fewer chemicals. I didn’t review the study but the figure seems little high to me. I think a $99 premium is more palatable but I didn’t survey anyone but myself. Some other crazy statistics from the article include:
- A report published by the UN University in 2004 said making the average PC required 10 times the weight of the machine in chemicals and fossil fuels.
- The study also found that the short life of computer equipment was leading to a mountain of toxic waste, mainly in India and China.
- Electronic waste, or e-waste, is a massive global problem. Thirty million computers are thrown out every year in the US alone.
- About 70% of heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, in landfill sites come from e-waste.
This simple graphic from the article gives computer users a clear idea of what’s in their machines.
Action: Buy your consumer electronics, especially cell phones and computers, from companies supporting more responsible manufacture and disposal of their products. The majority of consumers use cell phones only to make and receive calls, and computers only for word processing, email and browsing the Net. Because of this these items have been nearly commoditized. According to the article, “Dell says it will eliminate the use of all brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in its products by 2009. A number of other firms, including Hewlett Packard, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, have also made commitments to phase out the use of hazardous chemicals in the near future.” This is progress but more needs to be done. Compel manufacturers to be responsible for their products and develop programs to help consumers properly dispose of them. Electronic recycling centers have started appearing in major electronics retailers but they only help the motivated. As with most things, people need an incentive.
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