10 Things You Didn't Know About Electronics and the Environment

The $150 billion consumer electronics industry has been booming, despite a slowdown in the economy overall. But all those cell phones, computers and iPods have a big impact on the planet, in terms of energy use, resources needed and disposal issues.

As organizer (and Inhabitat founder) Jill Fehrenbacher said at the Greener Gadgets Conference in New York City, it's true that many of us who are writing, speaking and learning about — and trying to live by — the principles of sustainability also spend many hours a day surfing the Internet, chatting on our cell phones and so on. That's why Fehrenbacher and others are helping to focus attention on the growing movement to green up our gadgets.

Speaking in his (somewhat faded) South African accent, Vice President and General Manager John Solomon of Hewlett Packard told the Greener Gadgets audience that environmental issues have become front and center for the whole tech industry. "The IT industry is based on innovation, and it's through innovation that we believe many environmental problems are going to be solved," said Solomon. "HP has made the environment a core of our business, instead of just a checkpoint. As a company you ignore the environment at your peril."

Experts explained that some of the ways industry is leading the way toward sustainability include increasing improvements in energy efficiency; providing ways to charge devices directly with renewable energy; eliminating mercury, cadmium and other toxic materials from products; beefing up recycling efforts; reducing packaging materials; cleaning up manufacturing processes; offsetting greenhouse gases; and so on.

So from the Greener Gadgets Conference, here are facts you didn't know about electronics and the environment:

• 1. Electronics are responsible for 25% of home energy use, according to Energy Star.


• 2. The IT industry directly contributes 2% of the U.S.'s overall global warming gases, according to John Solomon of HP.


• 3. 95% of computers in the U.S. simply do not have their built-in power management settings turned on or optimized, according to Allyson Klein, a technology manager at Intel.


• 4. While a typical laptop uses 30-40 watts of power, the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) XO uses only 2 watts.


• 5. One Solio solar-powered charger (with included adapter tips) can replace 4 or 5 standard gadget wall chargers, according to Daniel Porras, a vice president of Solio.


• 6. Sony's new OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes) use 40% less energy than standard LEDs, according to Douglas Smith, Sony's corporate director for environment, safety and health.


• 7. 95% of Americans will soon be able to drive 20 miles or less to drop off any electronics for recycling. The program, managed by Waste Management, is free for any Sony products, or based on small fees for other brands.


• 8. 12-15% of Philips' global sales are currently of green products, and the company hopes to make that 30% by 2012, said Gregg Chason, vice president of industry affairs and relations for Philips Consumer Lifestyle North America.


• 9. HP leads the industry in EPEAT-registered products, 47, including 10 in the gold category, according to Solomon. EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) is a program that sets specific criteria to measure the environmental attributes of electronics.


• 10. In California, 35% of electronics are recycled, according to Douglas Smith of Sony.

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