If you are looking at the big picture, the Samsung UN55C8000 delivers 55 inches of view. Image: Samsung
If visions of a new computer, an upgraded cell phone or a flat screen TV are dancing in your head this holiday season, you don’t necessarily have to feel guilty about it. No one will confuse adding 50 inches of viewing pleasure with planting a tree when it comes to carbon footprint, but bringing that shiny new toy into your home may not be quite the environmental faux pas it used to be.
From design to operation to disposal, electronics are getting a little more eco-friendly. That’s a good thing, too, since we seem to be incorporating more and more of them into our daily lives. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, a typical American household features 24 electronic devices, from clock radios to DVDs and Blu-Ray players to computers and TVs.
That can be 24 energy-sucking environmental time bombs…or, with a little research and careful shopping, something a bit less taxing on the power grid and the planet in general.
One way to try to lessen your impact is to look for the Energy Star label. That designation assures that any electronics you are considering are verifiably more energy efficient than others on the market.
Yet another good source is the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT. Products certified by EPEAT meet standards set by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in a variety of areas, including choice of materials, design for end of life, life cycle extension, energy conservation, end of life management and packaging.
Of course, everyone is claiming to be some kind of “green” these days. How can the average consumer avoid “greenwashing” and make good choices?
In addition to Energy Star and EPEAT, consider advocacy sites such as Greenzer. You can look up a wide range of electronic items and find their “Greenzer Score,” which combines information from Energy Star, EPEAT and other sources Greenzer considers relevant to the product in question.
With all of that mind, here are a few things to look for as you head out to the mall with credit card in hand and the best of intentions in your heart:
Tags: Consumer Electronics Association, Dell, Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, ENERGY STAR, green electronics, LED, Lenovo, Samsung
