TCO'95-Ecological requirements for pe rsonal computers (TCO'95 applied model onl y)
AB general requirements
AB2 Written Eco-document acom panying the products
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 monitors?
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 monitors 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 monitor, 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 climate-influencing emissions,
radio activ e waste, etc.) it is vital to co nserve en ergy . Electr onic equ ipme nt in offi ces cons umes an
enormous amount of energy, since it is often routinely left running continuously.
What does labelling involve?
This product meets the requirements for the TCO'95 scheme, which provides for international
environmental labelling of monitors. The labelling scheme was developed as a joint effort by the TCO (The
Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees), Naturskyddsforeningen (The Swedish Society for
Nature Conservation) and NUTEK (The National Board for Industrial and Technical Development in
Sweden).
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 restrictions 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 conducts its operations policy. The energy requirements
include a demand that the monitor after a certain period of inactivity shall reduce its power consumption to
a lower level, in one or more stages. The length of time to reactivate the monitor shall be reasonable for
the user.
Labelled products must meet strict environmental demands, for example in respect of the reduction of
electric and magnetic fields, along with physical and visual ergonomics and good usability.
TCO Development Unit 1996-11-29
On the page th is fol der yo u will find a brie f summ ary of the en viron menta l requir ement s met b y thi s
produ ct.
The complere environmental criteria document may be ordered from:
TCO Development Unit
S-11 494 St ockho lm
Sweden
Fax: +46 8 782 92 07
E-mail (Internet): development@tco.se
Current information regarding TCO'95-approved and labelled products may also
be obtained via the Internet, using the address:
http:/ /w ww.t co - info .co m/TCO'95 is a co-operative project between(3 logos)
Environmental Requirements
Brominated flame retardants are present in printed circuit boards, cables, wires, casings and housings. In
turn, t hey dela y the sprea d of fire. U p to th irty pe rcent of th e plas tic in a comp uter casing can co nsist o f
flame retardant substances. These are related to another group of environmental toxins, PCBs, which are
suspected to give rise to similar harm, including reproductive damage in fish eating birds and mammals,
due to the bioaccumulative processes. Flame retardants have been found in human blood and researchers
fear that disturbances in foetus development may occur.
zTCO'95 demand requires that plastic components weighing more than 25 grams must not contain
organically bound chlorine and bromine.
Lead
Lead c an be fo und in pict ure tube s, disp lay scr eens , so lde rs a nd ca pac ito rs. L ead dam age s th e ne rvou s
system and in higher doses, causes lead poi soning.