Lenovo T545 manual Environmental Labelling of Personal Computers

Environmental Labelling of Personal Computers

Congratulations! You have just purchased a TCO’95 approved and labelled product! Your choice has provided you with a product developed for professional use. Your

purchase has also contributed to reducing the burden on the environment and to the further development of environmentally-adapted electronic products.

Why do we have environmentally labelled computers?

What does the environmenal labelling involve?

In many countries, environmental labelling has become an established method for encouraging the adaptation of goods and services to the environment. The main problem as far as computers and other electronic equipment are concerned is that environmentally harmful substances are used both in the products and during their manufacture. Since it has not been possible so far for the majority of electronic equipment to be recycled in a satisfactory way, most of these potentially damaging substances sooner or later enter Nature.

There are also other characteristics of a computer, such as energy consumption levels, that are important from both the working and natural environment viewpoints. Since all types of conventional electricity generation have a negative effect on the environment (acidic- and climatic-influencing emissions, radioactive waste, etc.), it is vital to conserve energy. Electronic equipment in offices consumes as enormous amount of energy, since it is often routinely left running continuously.

This product meets the requirements for the TCO’95 scheme, which provides for international environmental labelling of personal computers. The labelling scheme was developed as a joint effort by the TCO (The Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees), Naturckyddsföreningen (The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation), and NUTEK (The National Board for Industrial and Technical Development in Sweden), and SEMKO AB (an international certification agency).

What does the environmenal labelling involve?

The requirements cover a wide range of issues: environment, ergonomics, usability, emission of electrical and magnetic fields, energy consumption and electrical and fire safety.

The environmental demands concern, among other things, restriction on the presence and use of heavy metals, brominated and chlorinated flame retardants, CFCs (freons), and chlorinated solvents. The product must be prepared for recycling, and the manufacturer is obliged to have an environmental plan, which must be adhered to in each country where the company implements its operational policy.

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