GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Greener Computing with Biodegradable Laptops

Dave Greenfield | Date: 02-11-10 | Comments

A new breed of laptops has 40 percent less power consumption and is good for the environment.

Few people realize that computer systems have a carbon footprint as large as the airline industry. Acer is attacking the problem with an addition of two laptops to its lineup; the Aspire 3811TZ and 3811TZG are not only energy-efficient, a common-enough buzzword today, they also are recyclable and biodegradable. The Taiwanese tech company is leading the way in green computing.

The Aspire models are part of Acer�s Timeline range of portable notebooks and maintain an array of impressive features, including:
- Design that eliminates PVCs (polyvinyl chloride) and BFR (brominated flame retardants). These two materials are used in traditional computers and are extremely damaging to the environment.
- 40 percent less power consumption than conventional laptops.
- Efficient LED backlighting and Intel ULV Core 2 Duo processors.
- An incredible eight-hour battery life.
- Recyclable and biodegradable materials.
Details about the computers� functioning have not been discussed by Acer, which chooses to focus attention on the green aspects of the Aspire models. But these merits alone are drawing attention to the company, which is one of the top five branded PC vendors. It received acclaim and a �green star� from Greenpeace for its efforts and ingenuity.

Acer released a statement, saying, �The chemical characteristics of PVC and BFRs may generate toxic substances like dioxins and furans at products' end-of-life, therefore, the reduction of PVC and BFRs in Acer products will help protect our environment from being poisoned by electronics goods.�

Before environmentalists rush out to buy the Aspires, though, it is important to note that while the notebooks do not contain toxins, their power cables do. The power supply contains flame retardant chemicals. This is disappointing to many, including Greenpeace, which feels that Acer is not moving quickly enough to green up its act.

It remains, though, that Acer has made the first breakthrough in environmentally friendly computer manufacturing. It may be just the first step in the right direction, but it is a big step.