Green Computers Measure Up

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Green Electronics Council (GEC) today released a report measuring the environmental benefits from the sales of EPEAT registered “green” computers.

“Everyone wanted to know if buying ‘green’ computers really mattered”

“Everyone wanted to know if buying ‘green’ computers really mattered,” explained Jeff Omelchuck, Director of the Green Electronics Council, which manages the EPEAT green computer program. “Well, we did the math and the numbers blew us away. We didn’t believe the initial results so we did the math again using more conservative assumptions, but the environmental benefits of just six months of EPEAT registered computer sales are still astounding.”

According to the Environmental Benefits Calculator, developed by the University of Tennessee under a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the first six months of sales for EPEAT registered green computers when compared with traditional computers produces the following environmental benefits:

Saves 13.7 billion kWh of electricity, enough to power 1.2 million U.S. homes for a year;
Saves 24.4 million metric tons of materials, equivalent to the weight of 189 million refrigerators;
Prevents 56.5 million metric tons of air pollution, including 1.07 million metric tons of global warming gases (the equivalent of removing 852,000 cars from the road for a year);
Prevents 118,000 metric tons of water pollution;
Reduces toxic material use by 1,070 metric tons, equivalent to the weight of 534,000 bricks, including enough mercury to fill 157,000 household fever thermometers; and
Avoids the disposal of 41,100 metric tons of hazardous waste, equivalent to the weight of 20.5 million bricks.

“And those numbers are based on products sold during the last half of 2006,” explained Omelchuck. “There are now more than 575 EPEAT registered green products from 21 different manufacturers. We predict the benefits next year will be even bigger.”

A copy of the environmental benefits report and links to the Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator are available on the EPEAT website at <www.epeat.net/benefits.aspx>.

About EPEAT Registered Products

The EPEAT program, partially funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, evaluates computer desktops, laptops, and monitors based on 51 environmental criteria. All EPEAT registered products must meet 23 mandatory environmental criteria. An additional 28 optional criteria are used to determine whether products earn EPEAT Bronze, Silver, or Gold recognition.

EPEAT registered products are high-performance business class computers that cost no more than conventional products. Compared to traditional computer equipment, however, all EPEAT-registered computers have reduced levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury to better protect human health and the environment. They are more energy efficient, which reduces emissions of global warming greenhouse gases, and they are also easier to upgrade and recycle.

For full details on the EPEAT criteria met by the more than 575 products from 21 manufacturers, visit the EPEAT website at <www.epeat.net>.