Carbon Footprint The amount of carbon dioxide emissions created by a person or

industry 2% of worldwide carbon emissions comes from the global

information and communications technology (ICT) industry

Carbon FootprintNegative environmental impactComputer manufactureEnergy use during lifetimeDisposal

Manufacturing Mining for raw materials Transport of raw materials Manufacturing stage creates greenhouse gases and use of energy Transport of finished product

Energy UseAfter lighting, computers and monitors have the highest energy consumption in office environments. Power management of computers and monitors can significantly reduce their energy consumption, saving money on electricity costs.

Saving Energy1. Use a laptop instead of a desktop2. Use a flat panel display over CRT3. Set power management options4. Turn of computers at end of day5. Use energy efficient processors6. Switch of peripherals not in use

DisposalA PC may contain 3 to 4 kg of lead, along with lower levels of mercury, arsenic, cadmium, beryllium and other toxic chemicals.

Ink cartridges will take 400 – 1000 years to decompose

It is important to recycle computers rather than dispose in landfill:

Some of these component materials must be disposed of or reused in a specific manner to protect the environment.The materials in the products can be reused in the production of new products, minimizing the amount of material that goes into landfills and the need for raw materials. Consider that disposal itself will have some carbon footprint, machinery required etc.

RecyclingServices typically provide (at a cost):Refurbishment of some equipment for use with charitiesRefurbishment of some equipment for resaleRecycling of some equipment for raw materialsHard drives shredded or wiped to protect dataMinimal or even zero landfill

Carbon FootprintPositive environmental impactPaperless: digital rather than print, e-billingCommunications: teleconference rather than travelDownloads: no physical media e.g. CD-ROMsHome-working: reduced travelSmart environments: heating, power, lighting and other energy consumption controlled as needed rather than just on/off