Tag, You’re Green

Before buying eco-friendly electronics, it’s important to understand the labels.

In an age when hybrid cars are taking over the roads and organic foods fill the supermarkets, it is clear that consumers are gravitating toward more sustainable goods. But they aren’t the only ones changing their buying behavior. Businesses, small and large, are also looking to help save the world. But the question is, what does it mean to be sustainable when it comes to buying IT equipment?

We’re still at an early stage of eco-friendly IT, and the labels are evolving. The government, manufacturers, trade groups and retailers all have competing standards as to what defines “green” for such items as smartphones and laptops. Because of this lack of agreement, it’s hard to quantify how eco-friendly one computer is versus another, says Mike Parker, vice president of global marketing at Intertek, which tests and certifies products for compliance with these standards, as well as its own proprietary Green Leaf Mark.

One of the few standard measures you may see is the EPA’s Energy Star label, which was designed to recognize products in the top 25% of energy efficiency. Computers, copiers, faxes, monitors, servers and printers are rated; cell phones and PDAs may be added in the future.

The EPA claims that Energy Star products create about 30% less greenhouse gases by using 30% less energy than average products. According to Energy Star brand manager Maria Tikoff Vargas, there’s no noticeable difference in retail price between an Energy Star computer and one that doesn’t meet the requirements, so going green will save you money in the long run.

There are other grading systems that look at factors beyond energy efficiency. The EPA’s SmartWay program identifies shippers who demonstrate environmental responsibility when making deliveries. And EPEAT rates electronic products on 51 environmental criteria, such as how toxic the components are and how easy it is to recycle them. Some “gold-level” EPEAT laptops include Sony’s VGN-SR590FAB and Apple’s MacBook MC207. To buy well-ranked EPEAT items, consumers can visit the epeat.net to see which ones qualify.

Manufacturers also use their own grading systems. HP’s Eco Highlights label—visible on the box—displays various attributes, such as the amount of recycled plastic in the product and the degree to which the packaging is recyclable. At apple.com/environment/ reports, Apple breaks down the percentage of greenhouse gas emissions that result from the production, transport, recycling and use of its electronics.

As green labels continue to influence buyers, hopefully the government and brands will establish standards to make purchasing eco-friendly IT products as easy as buying a hybrid car or organic fruit.