With environmental concerns on everyone’s minds, purchasing computer equipment for your company now comes with more factors to consider. How much electricity does it use? Are any of the parts made of recycled goods? Can we recycle this easily? Basically, it boils down to efficiency.
In response, Samsung created the “Green Report Card,” a collection of all the “green” ratings our products have earned. At the bottom of each product page, you’ll find a Green Report Card that shows its eco-friendliness.
Here’s what to look for:
EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool)
A program run by the Green Electronics Council, EPEAT evaluates computer equipment based on environmental attributes like longevity, reduction or elimination of toxic materials, meeting ENERGY STAR standards and recyclability.
To be EPEAT-registered, products must meet 23 of IEEE 1680’s required criteria for a bronze rating. Products may obtain a silver or gold rating—with gold being the most environmentally friendly—by meeting any combination of the 28 optional criteria, such as packaging products in reusable materials, a reduction in the amount of plastic used in the product, and availability of replacement parts.
RoHS (Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment)
A UK Enforcement Authority, RoHS ensures that new electronic equipment contains no more than a specified level of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. Although it is currently not possible to produce many computer components without such substances, the goal of RoHS is to substantially reduce the amount entering the waste stream.
Products are listed as “RoHS compliant” when they contain appropriately low levels of the restricted materials. If a product fails to comply with the European directive lowering the use of these materials, it’s listed as “RoHS non-compliant.”
ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to identify and promote energy-efficient products and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Computers and monitors were the first labeled products, but ENERGY STAR labels can now be found on more than 60 varieties of business and consumer electronics and appliances.
ENERGY STAR products are 10–25 percent more efficient than U.S. government standards, while offering superb performance and innovative features.
The vast majority of Samsung’s globally sold TVs, monitors, notebook PCs, printers and appliances meet the latest ENERGY STAR criteria.
Samsung created the Green Report Card to help you make smarter choices, yet it also reveals just how committed we are to providing products, solutions and technologies that benefit you and our planet.
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