Dell and Goodwill launch free computer recycling service

Dell is continuing on its quest to become a green company, this time with an expansion of Reconnect, the firm’s electronics recycling service.

The company said that consumers can now bring their computers regardless of brand and shape to locations of Goodwill and Houston Computer Works stores. Sometimes, it actually can be a challenge to get rid of old electronics.

Many U.S. counties offer electronics recycling programs, but collection times are often very limited and some counties have begun charging for this service.

With the expansion to Houston and 15 surrounding counties, Reconnect is now available in 57 counties in Texas. Other locations covered by Reconnect are counties in Michigan and New Jersey, North Carolina, Northwest Ohio and the cities of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, San Diego and San Francisco (Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties).

Source:tgdaily.com/content/view/36661/139/
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Apple Introduces Free Recycling For Any Brand

Apple continues to do penance for its eco-sins with the launch of a new recycling scheme that will accept not only its own products, but those of rival PC brands as well. That's right; in the name of greenness, the age-old rift is no more.

How will this work? Apple is offering free recycling on items such as CPUs, iPods and mobile phones, both in-store and online; a freepost label is generated when the user fills out their details.

Apple will pay for the shipping, with the one proviso that those taking advantage of the service must have already bought an Apple computer. Details on how to recycle your computer equipment are on Apple's site.

Source:hippyshopper.com/2008/02/apple_introduce.html
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Quietest PC Scores on Energy

ThinkCentre A61e desktop help users save up to 50 percent in energy costs annually.

Lenovo reinvigorated the desktop PC space with the ThinkCentre A61e ultra small form factor desktop. As the company’s smallest, quietest and most energy-efficient desktop, it has a footprint of the size of an average telephone book, and choices of energy-efficient, 45-watt AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 dual core and AMD Sempron™ single core processors.

The ThinkCentre A61e desktop marks Lenovo’s first product with EPEAT Gold status. Operated by the Green Electronics Council, EPEAT ranks products on a variety of environmental attributes from energy efficiency to the recyclable use of materials. Many organisations use this tool to help make purchasing decisions. Recognised for its environmental attributes, the ThinkCentre A61e desktop uses up to 90 percent reusable material as well as 90 percent recyclable packaging. It also can be powered by an optional solar panel.

As the first desktop in the industry to run on energy-efficient AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 dual core and AMD Sempron™ single core processors, it can help users save up to 50 percent in energy costs annually over previous models2. For instance, a customer deploying as few as 50 desktops could avoid more than 20,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and a large enterprise deployment of 50,000 desktops could cut more than 20 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

"With the ThinkCentre A61e, we have combined small size and consistently quiet acoustics with a light weight, highly energy-efficient green PC that cuts energy costs in significant ways to help organisations reduce their operational expenses,” said Anil Philip, Executive Director, Transaction Business, Lenovo India.
As energy prices rise, finding ways to control these variable costs through more efficient technology becomes increasingly important.

Nimble desktop

According to IDC, the worldwide desktop market grew year-over-year by 4.2 percent in the second quarter of 2007 with Lenovo growing 20.4 percent in this period. IDC forecasts worldwide shipments of the ultra small form factor desktop to grow by 52 percent from 2005 to 20104.

Taking up 25 percent less space and weighing just eight pounds, the ThinkCentre A61e ultra small form factor desktop fits the shrinking real estate in today’s work environment, making it a good fit for customers in education, medical and financial sectors.

The PC’s single, low-speed fan keeps it running cool for ultimate reliability and keeping it consistently quiet whether in idle mode or stretched to the maximum for peak performance.

Source:deccanherald.com/Content/Feb132008/cyberspace2008021251911.asp
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10 Easy Solutions to Go Green

You don’t have to be Al Gore to understand that going green is vital to Mother Earth’s survival—and our own. Most of us want to do our part to prevent global warming, but don’t really know how. The good news is, if each of us does our part to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by just 2 percent a year, we could actually prevent the worst effects of global warming by the year 2050!

With the year 2008 well under way, now is the perfect time to resolve to make 2008 your greenest year ever! To get you started, here are 10 easy resolutions you can make today:

1. Say Goodbye to energy vampires. Reduce your utility bill and your carbon dioxide emissions by upgrading to energy-efficient appliances, like an adjustable thermostat, throughout your home. Also, unplug common appliances like your cell phone charger, computer and TV when not in use: if they’re plugged in, they’re draining energy even if they’re not turned on.

2. Make the switch to CFLs. Still waiting around to change out your regular incandescent light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs? By making the switch, you can save about $50 over the life of each bulb—and reduce your CO2 emissions.

3. De-tox your home. Since green is everywhere, nowadays you can opt for an eco-friendly redecoration by using low-voc paint, carpet, paints, and even wood cabinetry. Also, detoxify your home by avoiding standard household cleaning and personal care products, which contain toxic chemicals like sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and phosphates. These chemicals are not only carcinogenic, but also wreak havoc on the planet when rinsed down the drain and into our rivers and streams.

4. Install a Water Filter. Using a water filter will not only keep you from digesting toxins in our water and give you better-tasting water, but it will also reduce your dependence on plastic water bottles. In fact, a typical filter can eliminate up to two tractor trailers full of plastic bottles in our landfills, and the energy (and CO2) required to manufacture those bottles.

5. Eat organic or sustainably grown food. Organic farming is better for the planet than industrial farming because it’s free of harmful pesticides that run into our rivers and streams. Eating organic food will also be better for your body, because it’s free of toxins like GMO’s (genetic modifiers), antibiotics and hormones, which are dangerous to your health when digested and have been linked to degenerative diseases and learning disabilities in children.

6. Reduce your meat consumption. Most people don’t know that the meat industry is the largest industrial polluter of the planet, wasting millions of tons of precious water, land and natural resources each year. In fact, studies show that 18 percent of greenhouse gases have been linked to farming animals for food. Fact: A meat-eating diet requires more than 4,000 gallons of water per day. By comparison, a vegetarian diet requires only 300 gallons of water per day, and is less costly to your wallet and the planet.

7. Wear Eco-Chic Clothing. Before buying your next outfit, take into account that about one third of a pound of pesticides is used just to make one cotton T-shirt! Do your part by purchasing clothing made from sustainable fabrics like bamboo, hemp or organic cotton, which feels like silk on your skin.

8. Travel green whenever you can. To cut down on C02 emissions, consider driving a fuel or energy efficient vehicle. If you can't buy a new car or aren’t ready to trade yours in for a Prius, opt to walk, bike, or carpool (public transportation counts) instead of driving.

9. Offset your carbon footprint. When all else fails, do your part to neutralize your carbon footprint the easy way by purchasing carbon offset credits. Carbon offsetting is one of the most popular ways to clean up CO2 emissions from daily activities in your home or business like driving your car, flying, or turning on the heat.

10. Become a conscious consumer. Being a conscious consumer means voting with your spending dollars to create the change you want to see in the world. Buy only what you need. Purchase green products and services whenever you can. Support local businesses that offer products and services sourced from no more than 100 miles from your home (start with your local farmer’s market). Expand your portfolio by investing in socially responsible businesses.

Source:sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1193&Itemid=188
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An Eco-friendly LCD monitor-ViewSonic VA1616w

The ViewSonic VA1616w could be the ideal LCD monitor for anyone concerned about their energy usage.

Reduced power consumption by computer monitors is a likely feature of many people's environmental wish-list.

In the past, attempts to help computer users to feel less guilty have included the launch of Blackle, an alternative to Google with a black background.

But the service received mixed reviews, with some critics claiming that changing the background from white to black would not reduce the energy used.

For a more concrete solution, the ViewSonic VA1616w might be one option, as it comes with Energy Star certification.

This rates it at a power consumption level of 17.2 Watts when active and 0.2 Watts when on standby.

Launched in February, the LCD monitor could therefore be a good selection for anyone seeking to invest in a new 15-inch monitor.

Energy Star points out that consuming less power means components can run cooler, helping them to last for longer before needing to be replaced.

Source:cclonline.com/news/newsArticle.asp?articleid=18508384&tid=cclnews
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Power Saving Green PC at US$470

Taiwanese IT hardware manufacturer VIA Technologies and Brazilian systems integrator Bitway Computadores have launched a power saving PC for 800 reais (US$470), the companies said in a joint statement.

The Bitway Flex PC comes with motherboard VIA pc2500 and runs on operational system Linux. The motherboard is manufactured in Brazil and comes with the 1.5GHz power saving processor VIA C7-D, which runs on 76% less power.

"Our motherboard and processor dissipate less heat, so the emission of carbonic gas is lower and this also allows customers to save power," Via's operations director in Brazil, Carlos Kato told BNamericas.

The desktop will be available in the market by month's end and will come along with a CRT monitor, 512MB memory, an 80GB hard drive, DVD-CDRW, a multimedia kit, keyboard and mouse.

"This is a partnership we have formed with the store Insinuante. The first order was for 8,000 PCs and we will deliver this month, and produce more according to their demand," Bitway's sales manager Roberto Melo told BNamericas.

Source:bnamericas.com/news/technology
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Green PC solution: 7-in-1 PC Goes for the Green

A UK company is pitching a new green PC solution that allows multiple users to access a single desktop without having to install expensive virtualization technology.

VeryPC’s GreenHive platform allows up to seven terminals to be connected to a central PC, cutting power consumption per user from about 80 watts to about 9 (although neither figure includes the power consumed by a monitor).

Still, the company says that its central desktop unit draws less energy than a single desktop and is still able to server multiple users with standard business applications. The system is powered by a 2.3 GHz multicore Opteron and sports 4 GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250 GB SATA hard disk and a rewritable DVD drive.

A full bundle comes with the server, seven 19-inch TFT monitors, keyboards and mice, a laser printer, Cat 5 cabling, plus Windows XP and backup and shutdown scripts.

Green PC, Green PC Solution, Green PC Support, Green Computer

Source:itbusinessedge.com/blogs/dcc/?p=337#comment-12623
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Apple’s Mac Mini Goes Environmentally Green

The Mac Mini may not be Apple’s most powerful computer but it’s the cheapest Mac you can buy; without seeking out refurbished or used units. It may surprise you to learn that the Mac Mini is also a green desktop, meaning safe for the environment and power efficient.

The Mac Mini shined on power efficiency tests and about 90% of the unit can be safely recycled. While not the "greenest" desktop in the tests, it was a good compromise between being "green" and processing power; such as it is.

The Mac Mini consumed 20W of power while idle; 2W in both sleep mode and off; when pushed to maximum performance it used between 42W and 43W.

Unfortunately, the Mini had to take second seat in the "green" rating to the Zonbu Desktop Mini which used a scant 10W at idle, 6W at sleep and 1W when turned off. Rating for it were not available in the maximum performance category.

There you have it, if you want a Mac but also want to feel good about going “green” then the Mac Mini will fit the bill.

Of course, this doesn’t take into account the display being used with the desktop. LCDs contain trace amounts of mercury and other chemicals that are not necessarily good for the environment. At least you can feel good about the computer you are using.

Source:mac.blorge.com/
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Lenovo Builds First GreenGuard PC

LENOVO, the Chinese heir to IBM's PC business, has announced the ultra small Thinkcentre M57[P] Eco desktop PC, the first desktop PC to gain Greenguard certification.

Greenguard certification is only given to products that don't emit potentially harmful levels of up to 2,000 chemicals including volatile organic counpounds. It is awarded by the US Greenguard Environmental Institute, which has tested and certified more than 150 thousand products and materials.

"We are quite proud to say the ThinkCentre M57/M57P is the first desktop ever to meet our rigorous standards for chemical emissions," said Greenguard CEO Carl Smith. "Lenovo is leading the industry in its commitment to environmentally responsible computing."

Small, green and easy to run was what Lenovo senior VP of products Fran O'Sullivan said his customers wanted.

Lenovo's Eco PC is built using recycled consumer plastics and is both EPEAT Gold and Energy Star 4.0 rated. µ

Source:theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/03/05/lenovo-builds-first-greenguard
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Are Private Consumers Buying Green PCs?

Provider with a complete range of environmentally friendly solutions for data centres, offices and private households.

The green PC was developed to satisfy customer requirements for both private and commercial use. Indeed, green products account for about 75% of Professional PCs sold by Fujitsu Siemens Computers.

This computer manufacturer has a long tradition of environmental protection. Starting in 1988 with accepting returned devices and recycling them at their Paderborn site and creating the first internal guidelines for environmentally friendly product design in the early nineties, the first green PC was launched onto the market in 1993. Behaving in an environmentally friendly way does not mean doing without the comfort and technology of the modern world. The customer's purchase decisions can also highlight this issue and force business to align technical innovation and design with the environment.

The SCALEO Green PC makes it clear how environmentally friendly computer can be and what can be achieved by a company with the appropriate research and development: the PC has acquired the Nordic Swan, Blue Angel and Energy Star certificates. All these certificates are based on very stringent guidelines so that the customer can be completely certain that he has not just bought a supposedly green product, but has actively done something for the environment.

Source:independent.com.mt
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