A major environmental problem we face today, and one that is continuing to grow is what has been termed, “e-waste”. This refers to the waste generated from technology and the electronics we, as consumers, use and then ultimately discard.
Electronic waste is creating irreversible problems in the environment and technology companies are starting to change their ways, slowly but surely. The emphasis now is on eco-friendly products for the eco-minded consumer.
The electronic devices that we discard after their relatively short life span contain toxic ingredients like arsenic, mercury and lead. Additionally, these computers and other forms of electronics draw a lot of power, as their battery capabilities are fairly low. Other ways in which tech companies are “going green” are by extending the battery life of these devices, making them more energy efficient, and by reducing the amount of packaging used.
Here are a few of the “greenest” laptops on the market today. This is only the beginning, the rest are sure to follow.
“Green” Laptops
Apple MacBook Air: This laptop is not only beautiful; it is also one of the most eco-friendly laptops on the market today. It is free from harmful toxins such as arsenic and mercury that are often found in laptops and the casing is actually made from recyclable aluminum instead of plastic. Yes, it’s small, but it is also powerful. This little gem has plenty of memory and a powerful processor AND it is energy efficient. It has a surprisingly long battery life and is energy star certified. There is another thing that Apple got right with this product – they managed to reduce the amount of packaging by half.
Lenovo Thinkpad X301: This notebook garnered the EPEAT Gold certification making it a leader in terms of it’s “green” qualities. You won’t find any mercury here and the battery life is enviable. It gets better – the packaging is 90% recyclable and is free from harmful toxins like arsenic, cadmium and lead.
HP 2730p Tablet: HP earned Energy Star status with this Tablet. It boasts a battery life of about six hours
ASUS Eee PC 1000HE: This innovative and indeed ground-breaking laptop is perhaps one of the greenest and visually pleasing laptops out there. Weighing in at two pounds, this laptop with a 10-inch display, is ultra-efficient and uber-intelligent. It is able to sense the power needs of the CPU and adjust accordingly with the brightness of the LCD to maximize it’s energy efficient self.
Green is here to stay. The Environmental Protection Agency surmises that purchases of EPEAT registered computers over the next five years could save enough energy to power two million homes and decrease hazardous waste by 4 million pounds.