Week 23 - COMPUTERS

We own them, we use them, and we wouldn’t want to live without them, but computers can be a big drain. Not just brain drain as seen in our kids who have difficulty pulling themselves away from what is the desktop version of the idiot box, but also a drain on resources. Computers use a lot of energy and paper, but also create a lot of waste in the form of ink cartridges and the computers themselves. With a little forethought and the press of a few buttons, we can reduce the negative affect computers have on the environment.


What to Buy

The kids have headed back to school, Christmas will be here before your know it and you may be in the market for a new computer. Here are a few things to keep in mind before making that purchase:

1. Opt for a laptop over a desktop. A laptop uses about half the energy of a desktop.
2. Opt for an Energy Star rated computer. Whatever type of computer you choose, if it’s Energy Star rated it will use 70% less energy than its non-rated counterpart
3. Buy a computer that grows with you.
4. Buy the right system for your specific needs.
5. If you are comfortable with it, consider buying refurbished products. Ensure you get a decent warranty.

Conserving Power

Regardless of the type of computer you have, you can save power by changing your computer’s energy settings.

1. Microsoft Windows XP offers two convenient ways to power down, rather than completely turning off your computer. The following descriptions are from Microsoft.com: Standby is energy conserving because your entire computer switches to a low-power state. Devices, such as the monitor and hard disks, turn off and your computer uses less power. It's easy to return to work, because Standby leaves applications and files open on your desktop. Hibernate mode writes an image of what you're currently working on to a special file on your hard drive, and then shuts your computer almost completely off. It takes a bit longer than Standby, since it needs to write to your hard drive. Hibernate also takes a bit longer to resume, since you must go through essentially the normal boot process, although in Windows XP your computer wakes faster from Hibernate than in previous versions of Windows. The advantage is that you can leave your laptop in Hibernate mode for days without any ill effect. When you start it back up, you'll see everything exactly as you left it. Hibernate is the perfect mode for shutting down for the night or even the weekend
2. Use power options in “control panel“ on your computer. You can adjust any power management option your computer's hardware configuration supports. For example, by enabling sleep mode, you can reduce energy consumption by up to 70%.
3. Skip the screen saver. Active, moving screen savers don't save energy. Screen savers were initially designed to save the phosphorescent coating inside monochrome monitors - but this type of monitor is rarely used today.
4. At the very least, turn off your monitor when you are not using the computer. Leaving a monitor running uses significant energy.

Paper

Just a reminder of the ways you can save trees.

1. Buy recycled paper.
2. Print on both sides.
3. Print only your final copy.
4. Utilize your “print preview” option.
5. Recycle your used paper.

Ink Cartridges

Ink for computers is ridiculously expensive. A $40 cartridge, costs less than $3 to make, but their effect on the environment is dumbfounding. Read on:

1. On average three quarts of oil are burned to make one new cartridge.
2. An estimated 375,000,000 cartridges are thrown away every year.
3. Every cartridge thrown away turns into 2 quarts of oil in our landfills.
4. It takes about 1000 years for every one of those millions of cartridges to decompose in our landfills.

So what to do? The first thing to do is to continue printing with your ink cartridge until the words on the paper cannot be read. People will often replace the cartridge as soon as the little warning pops up that the ink is low. Wait a while, there is plenty of ink left.

After that it’s simple: Recycle your ink cartridges and buy recycled cartridges.

Recycled (or, more accurately, refilled or re manufactured) cartridges are increasingly available, but only 20 percent of used cartridges are currently re manufactured. We can do better than that!

There are a number of places that will accept used cartridges. The first place to look is in the box of the cartridge you just purchased. Companies often supply a postage paid envelope. Just put the spent cartridge in the envelope, seal it and stick it in the mail. Staples offers an incentive to customers to return their cartridges. The store will donate $1 to charity for every cartridge submitted for re manufacturing. Check out myinkcartridge.com. They will reward you for sending them used cartridges. They pay your postage and offer you credit toward your next purchase. For the location of more recyclers in your area, visit earth911.org.

There are several companies that offer recycled cartridges. I think it’s safe to say almost any store that carries new cartridges, will have a recycled brand right next to them. Take the leap and opt for the recycled. You’ll save a lot of money, and do the environment some good.

Extend Your Computer’s Life

From thegreenguide.com, “keeping electronics out of garbage protects our health and the environment. Many substances used in computers and electronics make them toxic additions to the waste stream: contaminating landfill sites, leaching out into drinking water supplies, and polluting the air if the products are incinerated. Each computer monitor contains on average 5 to 8 pounds of lead, for example, and consumer electronics as a whole contribute an astonishing 40% of the lead that is found in landfills”.

There are four key ways in which we can extend the life of our computers.

1. Participate in a buy back program

The following computer manufacturers and sellers have take back programs, some of which can even save you money on new PC's:

• Compaq: In seven Midwest states, residents and small business that buy new Compaq products can get a 6 - 9% discount for recycling old technology through the United Recycling Industries' (URI's) Electronics Take-Back Program.
• Dell: Dell has launched DellExchange, an online website with three options for dealing with end-of-life computers: 1) trade in to receive a discount on a new computer based on fair market value, 2) donation through the National Cristina Foundation, or 3) auction through dellauction.com. DellExchange accepts non-Dell computers.
• Gateway: Gateway offers customers a rebate of up to $50 on a new Gateway PC if they donate or recycle their old system. Customers are responsible for finding a recycler or receiving organization for their computer, after which they submit confirmation forms to Gateway to receive the rebate.

2. Donate it

When you are finished using your computer consider donating it to a non-profit organization. You’re needs may have changed, but someone else may be able to use it, as is, for many years to come. Ask around your community. Churches, community service orgs, child care centers, theater groups etc. may love to have your old computer. Also check out Dell.com which connects consumers to donation opportunities through the National Cristina Foundation.

3. Recycle it

IBM's PC Recycling Service allows consumers and small businesses to recycle any PC and peripherals. For $29.99, the customer receives a pre-paid mailing label and ships the computer equipment via UPS to Envirocycle, an electronics recycler in Pennsylvania. If the computer can be donated, the donor receives a receipt which can be used for tax deduction purposes. Customers can purchase the recycling service when they buy a new IBM computer or purchase the service separately by calling 1-888-SHOP-IBM or shopping online.

Also look for take-back days at Best Buy and Staples, (you can bring your old computers to the stores during take-back days and recycle them for a small fee).

Check earth911.org for where your can recycle computers in your area.

4. Reuse its components

Your monitor, keyboard and mouse can be reused with a new computer. Make sure your next computer is compatible with these components.

As a culture we have become tech junkies. We are always looking for the next “best thing“; the “newest thing”. Technology is constantly changing (and that's a good thing), but it really aids us in living our lives on autopilot. If we want to be kind to the environment we have to take a step back and consider 1) do I need that item or just want that item? and 2) do I need a whole new thing, or will new parts do? Again it’s about tuning in and being aware. There's a happy balance between what we want and what we need. We (without the influence of advertisers or the Jones’s) just have to think about it!