Computers' Elusive Eco Factor

There are several ways to measure the environmental impact of computers, but many consumers ignore them and PC makers have reason not to care

by Arik Hesseldahl

Consumers who want to weigh how their purchases affect the environment have plenty of guidelines and seals of approval to choose from for everything from cars to tissue paper. But finding out just how eco-friendly a computer is can be a bigger chore.

There are several competing yardsticks, each considering a different aspect of a computer's greenness, be it energy consumption, use of toxic materials, or how easily it can be recycled. None by itself provides a complete picture. And since consumers aren't demanding environmentally friendly computers in large numbers, makers of those machines have little incentive to market PCs that way.

Consider the U.S. government's Energy Star system, which tells how much a qualifying item will cut utility bills. Used for products ranging from air conditioners to washers and dryers, the program helped save $14 billion in energy costs last year and reduced the country's greenhouse-gas emissions by an amount equal to that of 25 million cars, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Business Relies on Energy Star

But applying Energy Star ratings to computers isn't so straightforward. Only 1 in 4 machines qualifies for the government's recently tightened system, Energy Star 4.0, introduced in July (BusinessWeek.com, 5/14/07). And by and large, businesses purchasing machines in large numbers tend to pay closer attention to Energy Star than consumers, who typically purchase PCs one at a time. The EPA estimates an Energy Star-rated computer will save about $103 a year, or less than $9 a month in electricity costs.

When Greenpeace International started publishing its twice-a-year Guide to Greener Electronics, it made headlines for criticizing Apple (AAPL), saying the company's iPod music players and Macintosh computers could be made in a more eco-friendly fashion while patting Dell (DELL) and Nokia (NOK) on the back for committing to eliminate hazardous materials from their products (BusinessWeek.com, 3/29/07). Apple recently announced changes that improved its score. Greenpeace's latest target is Sony (SNE), which is being criticized for recycling policies, and currently rates at the bottom of Greenpeace's A-F grading scale.

Yet Greenpeace grades don't tell the whole story either. Its methodology considers manufacturing and disposal—a machine's beginning and end, if you will. But it doesn't cover a PC's power consumption while it's in use. "Ours is a measurement of a company's policies and their words to us and to the public through their Web sites, and we hold them accountable by testing their equipment," says Rick Hind, legislative director of Greenpeace's Toxics campaign in Washington. "The computer industry is an enlightened one in terms of its fear of public and legal accountability."

Consumer Focus: Up-Front Costs

No computer maker wants the negative PR associated with a failing grade, but they've also got to consider consumers' demands, which don't always equate to greener PCs. Most Americans say they care about the environment, but behave otherwise at the cash register. In the latest Green Gauge survey conducted by Gfk Roper Consulting and released last month, 87% of American consumers say they are seriously concerned about the environment, while 79% say a company's environmental practices affect the products they buy.

Yet only 4 in 10 Americans say they're willing to pay more for a product that benefits the environment.