How to choose a green computer (and responsibly get rid of your old one)

Ah, computers. To buy, or not to buy? In tech purchasing, as in nearly everything these days, it's possible to spend your pennies more wisely for your sake and the planet's, now that companies are being vetted for energy efficiency and reduced pollutants. On the other hand, given the hazardous e-waste released by improper "recycling" (read, dumping) of 50-80% of our e-waste abroad, you might want to hold onto your old machine, upgrading its memory (and saving your money) for as long as possible.

If you really want or need to buy new, ask the company if they'll take your old machine for free recycling. To find out company policies, go here.

In a nutshell, here's what to look for new, and what to avoid:

Good Penny: Energy Star computers with least toxic contents

Bad Penny: Computers that waste energy and contain hazardous chemicals

Did You Know? If all computers sold in the U.S. met the U.S. EPA Energy Star standards, we’d save about $2 billion in electricity each year, and reduce as many greenhouse gases as taking 2 million cars off the road.
Toxic fire retardants can migrate out of computers [casings] into house dust, according to a 2004 Environmental Working Group study. Learn about other hazardous chemicals in computers from the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.

4 things to demand from a new green computer:

* It should be energy efficient/ Energy Star compliant
* It should minimize the use of hazardous chemicals
* Its maker should have a responsible takeback/ recycling program
* The company should be significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Check out Greenpeace’s newest “Guide to Greener Electronics," released November 25. Among computer makers, Toshiba scored best in this round, followed by Motorola, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Acer, Dell, HP, Apple, Lenovo, and so on. Also look for a high rating from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).

Currently, we like Apple and Dell for their performance and because both will accept machines by other makers for recycling. A popular green desktop this year is Dell’s new Studio Hybrid, which uses 70 percent less electricity than the average desktop PC. It won its Energy Star and a Gold rating from EPEAT. At $649, the Hybrid sits light on both the planet and your wallet. If you donate your old computer to the National Cristina Foundation, which refurbishes them for use by low-income families, Dell will give you a 10% off coupon for their products. That said, Greenpeace does fault Dell for not yet getting rid of PVC and brominated fire retardants.

Among laptops, Apple’s MacBook Air uses the least energy among the whole Mac family, and earned an Energy Star and a Silver EPEAT rating. Apple assures that the MacBook air is free of arsenic, mercury, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), and PVC plastic. And, it comes in an easily-recycled aluminum casing. Price: $1799. Apple also complies with the Basel Convention, which means that it cannot export its e-waste out of the U.S. On the other hand, Greenpeace dropped Apple a notch in its ratings, and points out that the MacBook Air still contains some toxic substances, although in its favor, the company is now disclosing its carbon footprint and has removed PVC and BFRs from its iPods.

Old or New: Energy saving tips

Whether you keep chugging along with your old computer or buy a new one, you can always improve on its performance and your energy savings by smart usage.

*Use your machine's built-in power-saving features. To learn what they are, how to activate them, and calculate how much you would save, check out the EPA IT Calculator and other tools featured on the Climate Savers Computing website.

Turn off your computer and the power strip when it's not in use. See more tips from the EPA.

Average U.S. retail price for a kilowatt hour of electricity (kwh) was 10.63 cents in August 2008 (latest figures), acc to DOE. If you turn off your PC when it's not in use, you can save 188 kilograms of CO2 and 437 kilowatt hours a year. That's $43 at the current average U.S. price of 10.6 cents per kwh.

Finding more products

For a list of Energy Star desktops, click here.

For a list of Energy Star laptops, look here.

Check out these 2008 lists for greenest PCs and Laptops.

The Environmental Working Group has a list of PDBE-free computers with links to manufacturers’ websites.

Want more simple green living tips? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter by emailing GreenerPenny@gmail.com. Thanks!

Mindy