Newsweek highlights its green enterprise rankings as companies embrace sustainable business models to differentiate in their markets. …
… “Dell called Swartz (Timberland) and explained his theories of environmentalism and frugality: that minimizing waste is good for the bottom line. ” …
Via Newsweek: Green Rankings.
Reconnect is a venture with Dell and Goodwill Industries that was started in 2004 to help consumers safely recycle used or unneeded computer equipment.
Key goals are to keep e-waste from landfills and to not export abroad where it might be unsafely handled / disposed of.
"Find out if Reconnect will accept the item ... Find a drop-off location ...
Drop off the item ... Feel good about what you've done."
" ... for residential consumers who wish to recycle used computers. ..."
To find a location near you ... Click
Via: Reconnect Partnership LINK
In June of 2009 Dell announced that they source over 1/4 of their global energy needs from renewable sources.
" ... powers nine ... facilities in the United States and Europe with 100 percent renewable energy. ... Round Rock, Texas; Twin Falls, Idaho and Oklahoma City, Okla. ..."
In addition to using a significant amount of renewable energy sources they " ... plan to reduce ... greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2015. ... "
Dell follows a simple 3-step model where they work efficiently (energy-wise), use renewable energyand offset with carbon credits from verified sources.
" ... only company in the computer industry to achieve operational carbon neutrality in August 2008 ..."
Via: DELL LINK
Dell is using new bamboo packaging materials that are compostable making them easier to dispose of in places other than a dumpster (read landfill). The result is a more sustainable packaging solution.
" ... mechanically pulped bamboo ... will compost and biodegrade ... comparable to known compostable materials ..."
" ... building on its commitment to make ‘being green’ easy and cost-effective for customers. "
So why bamboo ? Bamboo is a natural as it is fast growing, strong and " ... doesn't require replanting after harvest".
Via: Dell LINK
Dell will package your computer equipment for delivery in certified compostable bamboo cradles. The packaging has been certified for its composting performance. Bamboo grows fast and can be harvested sustainably. Dell sources its bamboo from China. The company is focusing on creating a sustainable footprint for its value chain, which includes improving the waste stream generated from the packaging of its products. …
… “The packaging recently received American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D-6400 certification. This certification confirms the packaging, made from mechanically pulped bamboo from a Forest Stewardship Council-certified bamboo forest in China, will compost and biodegrade at a rate comparable to known compostable materials when added to a hot, active compost pile.
The certification also assures that the compost resulting from the packaging’s degradation process is of good quality and can sustain plant growth.” …
Via Dell: Bamboo Packaging Certified Compostable.
The USPS has made great efforts to be green and help others be green. Through an arrangement with several electronics companies select USPS locations are offering prepaid mailers that can be used to recycle small electronics.
" ... committed to leaving a “green” footprint across America. ... are pioneers in using alternative fuel-capable vehicle ... support recycling and offer eco-friendly products."
Via: USPS LINK
... "But the chip’s lower speed and other architecture tweaks help it keep power consumption and costs low. For example, the new Dell servers cost less than $400 a pop ... " ...Via New York Times: Dell with Via Creates Green Server
electronics. The Dell supply chain, including external partners involved in the process, will track the disposition leg of the electronics lifecycle and the results will be audited. And, Dell will focus its efforts on avoiding landfill disposal or incineration in the first place. The company's business policy for disposal of electronics is positioned to exceed external industry standards. ... Continue reading "Dell Electronic Waste Will Not Be Exported To Developing Countries" »
" ... Dell now powers its 240,000 square-foot Oklahoma City campus with 100-percent wind energy, the latest action in its commitment to become the 'greenest' technology company on the planet. ... partnering with Oklahoma Gas and Electric on the use of renewable energy and expects to avoid nearly 5,100 tons of CO2 emissions per year."
" ... Dell now sources about 35 percent of its U.S. energy use from green power and approximately 20 percent globally. ... continuing to purchase enough green power, verified emission reductions and renewable energy certificates globally to cover its total electricity use. ... also helping suppliers achieve their environm
ental goals. ... was the first IT company to join the Carbon Disclosure Project's Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration to help suppliers with emissions reporting."
Via: Dell LINK
Keeping data centers colder than needed is not just expensive - it is wasteful of energy and contributes to global warming - and just might cause equipment to not last as long as possible ...
" ... Albert Esser, vice president of datacentre infrastructure at ... Dell, ... datacentres could cut their energy bills by up to five per cent with no adverse impact on their servers' reliability by simply increasing the temperature of their server farms by five degrees."
"According to Dell, air being pumped into a datacentre can typically be as cold as 19 degrees centigrade, despite the fact that systems will remain reliable as long as the temperature is lower than 25 degrees centigrade."
Esser pointed to a recent datacentre rollout that Dell contributed to, where the temperature was kept at 19 degrees, resulting in a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) ratio for the datacentre of 1.8. This means that for every watt used to power the servers, 1.8 entered the datacentres. However, when the temperature was raised to 23 degrees the energy efficiency of the facility improved significantly, resulting in a PUE of 1.3.
" ... Google has recently presented papers that shows that disk drives do not fail more often at temperatures of 75 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while BT is on record as saying "all modern systems will operate effectively and reliably between five and 40 degrees Celsius"."
One caveat ... "... if you have a cooling system failure and the datacentre is already pretty warm, you end up with a critical issue far more quickly, ... "
Via: computing.co.uk Link
... "Joined by officials of the European Commission focused on environment and information society policy, Mr. Dell discussed the power of Green IT in mitigating environmental and climate change problems across the economy. He said Green IT tools can drive efficiency and productivity in all sectors of the economy, enabling improvements in the use of energy resources. " ...Via Dell: Michael Dell European Union Green Leadership
... "Participation in the SCLC will provide Dell suppliers a standard globally recognized methodology to report emissions. Dell will work with its suppliers on reporting data relevant to Dells business and CDP will provide guidance on reporting requirements. Creation of a standardized system offers suppliers an efficient tool for reporting and helps avoid multiple reporting requirements. The SCLC was created to engage member companies supply chains to report carbon footprints and climate change-relevant information, such as greenhouse gas emissions data, emissions reduction targets and climate-change strategy. This is the first effort to create one single standardized mechanism, through the CDP questionnaire process, to measure company carbon footprints throughout their supply chain. " ...
Continue reading "Supply Chain Leadership through Carbon Disclosure" »
You've got Junk Electronics ?!?
Who doesn't have some stuff squrreled away in closets, the basement or the garage?
Ah .... but What to do about it?
>>> See below for some easy ways to recycle that old Sony Walkman and Motorola cell phone from the '80s...
Some of the major electronics manufactures are making it easier to recycle rather than toss in the land fill ... and pollute ...
"... makers, in their quest for the fastest, coolest .... devices, have never given much thought to environmental issues, says Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the Computer TakeBack Campaign, an advocacy group. Not surprisingly, their products are often chemical-laden, power-sucking nightmares, she says."
"Now, for the first time, almost every major PC and electronics maker is trying to change that, says Zeina Al-Hajj, an environmental campaigner at Greenpeace."
"... new green initiatives. Dell (DELL) ... announced a plan to become "the greenest technology company," by beefing up its recycling program and building more Earth-friendly PCs. .... Apple (AAPL) made a similar pledge to become "greener." Panasonic has taken the lead out of its plasma TVs. Motorola (MOT) made its cellphone chargers energy-efficient. Sun Microsystems (SUNW) has even begun posting the amount of electricity it uses in each of its office parks, by month, on the Internet."
"Some of the biggest, ongoing nationwide recycling programs:"
Apple: Apple iPods, any cellphone, any PC with purchase of an Apple computer (restrictions)
Dell: All Dell products, any PC with the purchase of a Dell computer
Hewlett-Packard: HP print cartridges, any PC ( for a fee)
Lenovo: Any PC (for a fee)
Motorola: Any phone
Via: USA Today Link
The personal computer, and its associated parts such as monitors, mice, keyboards and other peripherals, are everywhere. Many families have more than one and many families have the old ones in their basement or other storage areas.
We have 2 active PCs with monitors and at least one in the basement. What to do with these ... as sooner or later everyone wants to UPGRADE.
"In 2005, the National Safety Council estimated that 63 million computers became obsolete. It is estimated as of 2007 these stored computers will amount to about 500 million computers.""
Want some help / Ideas? Check out these ways to recycle / re-gift your old computers (some of these links have appeared previously in other posts on this blog):
And as a reminder ... "... with whatever types of recycling, donation, or disposal programs you use, you always have to remember to securely wipe all data from your old computers. Don't forget that step."
Via: TechRepublic.com Link