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Computers

Computers are an essential part of work and modern life. However, manufacturing, using and disposing of computers can damage the environment. Examples include air and water pollution from resource extraction and manufacturing, impacts on worker health, contribution to climate change (energy for manufacture and using the computer), and toxic materials released after disposal (eg, lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, brominated flame retardants).

These impacts can be reduced by taking the following actions.

Recommended actions

Refer to ecolabels

Prefer products which have an Environmental Choice New Zealand licence (EC-27-05 Computers), comply with other third-party audited life-cycle ecolabel criteria (eg, TCO, Nordic Swan, EU Flower, Blue Angel), or can meet equivalent criteria.

Products with silver or above in the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) database meet many equivalent criteria.

Note: ECMA TR-70 or IT-Eco declarations report categories of data that may be used to show that ecolabel-equivalent criteria can be met.

Accreditations such as ISO 14001, EMAS or EnviroMark do not demonstrate impact reduction. They indicate that a company has the management systems in place that should support impact reduction.

Reduce toxins

Meeting the ecolabel criteria (above) will help to reduce levels of potentially toxic materials.

Prefer products that can fully meet or do better than the requirements of the Restriction on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (RoHS). The supplier should be able to provide documentation that shows compliance.

Energy efficiency

Products should be Energy Star compliant. For the most recent international criteria, see www.energystar.gov (select ‘products’ in the menu). There is a 12-month lag time for these standards to be officially in effect in Australia. Compliant Australasian products are listed on www.energystar.gov.au. The New Zealand site is at www.energystar.govt.nz.

Products meeting third-party life-cycle ecolabel criteria comply with Energy Star.

Where possible, select products which are better than the Energy Star standard, and use the lowest number of watts for idle, sleep and standby (off) modes.

After purchase

Ensure energy conservation features (eg, timing for sleep mode) are enabled. When the computer is not in use, an automatic ‘sleep’ mode can conserve up to 90 per cent of the energy required. To maximise energy conservation, turn off the computer and monitor completely at the end of the working day. Microsoft programmes have integrated ‘power management tools’ – ensure your staff know how to use these options.

Maximise resource efficiency

Obtain maximum lifespan from equipment before replacing; where possible upgrade existing units rather than buying new. Consider rotations for computer fleet replacement of longer than three years. Consider lease rather than buy arrangements.

Look for products that provide the required function with smaller and lighter equipment, eg, smaller or integrated units, laptops instead of larger computers, flat screens instead of CRTs (cathode ray tubes). Many of these resource-efficient options also use less energy to operate.

Reduce waste to landfill

Prefer suppliers that offer an end-of-life disposal programme which maximises recycling and safe disposal, including Basel Convention compliance for exports, as required. 

Consider whether surplus equipment may be able to be reused through a computer recycling firm, sale to staff, auction or donation to community groups.

Where a supplier recycling programme or reuse outlet is unavailable, ensure you pay for correct disposal, eg, removal of hazardous materials such as lead and mercury from monitors before disposal.

Buy recycled

Prefer suppliers who provide products in packaging which has recycled content and is recyclable.

Products meeting third-party life-cycle ecolabel criteria usually have recycled and/or recyclable content packaging.

Computers with recycled content parts are preferred, but are not currently available in the New Zealand market. Expressing a preference for computers with recycled content parts will encourage the supplier to make these models available to the New Zealand market.

 

For further information, look at the following resources.

Last updated: 1 July 2009