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You can find more ideas for greening your current setup online at websites like Treehugger and My Green Electronics.
Green Technologies
The selection of green technology is growing fast. LCD televisions, for instance, Barry says are significantly more energy-efficient than the old cathode-ray tube technology and still marginally more efficient than plasma televisions.
The Solio Hybrid 1000 portable solar charger gets its juice from the Sun. An hour of sunshine equals about 15 minutes of cell phone talk time or 40 minutes on an mp3 player.
| | “Plasma has historically been less efficient, but they’re getting better all the time,” Barry says. “They’re using less energy with every new generation of plasma displays.”
But Barry is most enthusiastic about the next generation flat-panel television technology called OLED. “OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, has real benefits as a television technology,” he says. “One is the energy efficiency, and the other is that they’re much thinner than plasma or LCD.”
Barry says OLEDs are sometimes as thin as two credit cards and are measured in millimeters rather than inches. Toshiba has announced they plan to start selling OLED televisions as early as 2009.
Companies are also moving to use LED backlighting for LCD televisions, which will make these more energy-efficient, as well, says David Berman, director of training and public relations for the Home Theater Specialists of America. Some home theater components are looking beyond basic energy efficiency into other ways to be more environmentally responsible. This home theater system from Panasonic includes rapidly renewable bamboo material in the center speaker rather than petroleum-based plastics.
| | | | | |  | | | | | Recycling Old Electronics “Americans are going to buy over $170 billion worth of consumer electronics this year,” Barry says. “Many of these devices will be purchased to replace old ones. What you do with the old ones and how you recycle them is one of the big issues we’re facing.”
Unfortunately, too many people just set their old television or computer monitor out by the curb, destined for the county landfill. But this decision isn’t just bad for the environment—it can be bad for human health, as well.
“Only about 12 percent of the 126 million discarded televisions were recycled in 2006,” says Bruce Nofsinger, owner of Charlotte, N.C.-based Topics Communication and electronics recycling education advocate. “TV sets contain toxic substances like lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium. When discarded improperly, these toxins end up in our landfills and eventually seep into our land, rivers and oceans.”
If your old electronics are still in decent working order or could be easily repaired, consider finding them a new home by posting their description and availability on sites like Craigslist, Freecycle or by taking out an ad in your local paper.
If you need to dispose of the electronics, find a reputable recycler on sites like Earth911 and the Consumer Electronics Association’s My Green Electronics. Also, many big-box retailers like Circuit City and Best Buy have been making it easier for consumers to dispose of their old electronic equipment. Check with your area stores to find out if they offer recycling programs for old electronics. | | | | | | | | | | |
More companies are cutting waste in both the manufacturing process and on the consumer side, as well. “The Sharp factories produce higher-yield glass panels for their LCD TVs with less waste, and they recycle almost all of the water used to cut and transport the panels,” Berman explains. And for consumers, a single, rechargeable home audio control system like this one from Philips will keep many disposable batteries out of the landfill over its lifetime.
Life cycle issues are gaining more attention as more electronics end up in landfills. Noble Fidelity speakers are RoHS compliant, which means they adhere to restrictions on limits of hazardous substances like lead, mercury and cadmium.
[H1] Shopping
It can be tough for the average consumer to tell if they’re buying something that’s actually more eco-friendly than average. Retailers and manufacturers are good at “greenwashing” or presenting items as more environmentally sensitive than it actually is. (For more information, check out “Greenwashing: What It Is and How to Avoid It.”)
That’s where Web sites like Greenzer come in, says Arditi. Look up most electronic items on the site, and you’ll see its “Greenzer Score.”
“The Greenzer Score is an algorithm we’ve developed at Greenzer that leverages ratings and certifications from third-party groups we believe to be the most thorough and relevant sources of environmental information in their respective fields,” such as EPEAT, Energy Star and Climate Counts. Arditi says the 1 to 10 score is active on most computer and electronic products on the site. “Our mission is to make shipping for green products a no-brainer.”
If you’re not shopping through Greenzer, looking for labels is an effective way to shop more easily since these third-party certifications are widely accepted as reputable measures of a product’s environmental or energy-efficiency merits.
And if you’re worried that a greener product means higher costs when you’re buying, Arditi says, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. “It’s actually quite interesting to see that the cost of green products has been coming down significantly and the overall quality is on par with conventional products.”
Consumers are realizing the benefits, as well. “I think consumers are becoming much savvier and demanding when it comes to green products and electronics in particular,” Arditi says.
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Text by Alyson McNutt English
© 2008 BobVila.com
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