The green initiative is gaining ground as more and more manufacturers realise the benefits.
The colour green has never been so relevant as it is today because our natural environment is under tremendous pressure as a result of over-population and abuse by mankind. Thankfully people around the world are waking up to save planet Earth from losing its cool and clean environment before it's too late.
Among those taking the responsibility of making the world a better place is the technology sector. In order to reduce the stress on the environment, various consumer electronics manufacturers are tapping new technologies to reduce waste and energy use.
e+ talked to some industry leaders in the region about their contribution to manufacturing electronic products that are environment friendly and how they were creating awareness about this among the end-users.
Cellucom
Cellucom, one of the region's leading retailers and service providers of electronic mobile products, is also committed to the Go Green concept. It encourages recycling and avoids wastage in order to promote an eco-friendly environment. The company has also invested in staff training so that they can contribute towards a sustainable environment.
Cellucom is dedicated to low fuel consumption. There are also strict environment friendly norms at service centres for dismantling and disposal of products.
Among the eco-friendly aspects of the products the company deals with are longer battery hours, lower energy consumption and use of recycled materials. The mobile phones collected by Cellucom at its service centres are dismantled in a way that every part is disposed of without creating environmental hazards.
Cellucom has launched a campaign for recycling of electronic products in association with Nokia. Customers are encouraged to trade their old or unused mobile phones and accessories for discounts on new purchases. The company also uses paper bags.
Creative
Creative is boosting its green credentials with products that use less power in standby mode.
Speakers need to have innovative design, the best audio components and state-of-the-art technology while consuming less power, especially on standby. The European green agency standard is one watt for standby power mode while the average for older devices such LCDs and VCRs is about two watts. Creative is confident its upcoming products will consume less than one watt.
The Creative GigaWorks T3 speaker features Low Standby Power technology. The simple rear panel features the main Line-In input for connectivity to a soundcard or PC, high-grade connectors to satellite speakers and a bass compensation adjust knob.
The speaker system also comes with a wired remote which includes a low friction precision volume dial that doubles as a power/standby switch.
The GigaWorks T3's volume dial consumes 0.03 watt (stand-alone) but after integrating it with the rest of the system, T3 consumption on standby is approximately 0.8 watt which amounts to a reduction of more than 50 per cent compared to Creative's earlier speakers.
JVC
JVC initiated a plan called “Go Green” in 1992 to support a global initiative and has designed its products accordingly. JVC's aim is to make slim products which use a minimum of raw materials, consume low energy and are easy to disassemble. In 1996, the company revised its Environment Policy in 1996 believing that “the conservation of the global environment is the responsibility of a company as a public organ”.
To achieve this, JVC has gained ISO14001 certification at its factories worldwide and is recycling resources to achieve "zero emissions". The aim is to comply fully with international regulations such as European RoHS to minimise hazardous materials.
JVC has initiated the use of lead-free solder, discontinued use of PVC, and incorporated halogen-free circuit boards to reduce toxic chemical substances. Stand-by power consumption has been reduced and distribution efficiency has improved.
JVC's Super Slim Full HD LCD TVs (LT-42S90, LT-42SZ58/ LT-46SZ58) come with built-in tuners and are not only thin and stylish but also weigh less than 20kg and consume less than 200 watts of power, which in the case of its 42-inch model is the lowest in that category.
JVC has also encouraged suppliers to do their part in developing systems and materials that will reduce the environmental impact.
BenQ
BenQ, a provider of networked digital lifestyle devices, has introduced the 'Go Green' range of LCD monitors. BenQ wants its consumers to experience the luxury of HD viewing without compromising on the environmental aspects.
The 16:9 aspect ratio and 1080p is fast becoming the new global standard in monitor design and a BenQ survey indicates that LCD monitors are replacing smaller TVs in the home.
BenQ's new range of monitors caters to these trends by offering the luxury of full HD technology.
These products use less energy and emit less carbon dioxide and mercury than conventional monitors.
Recently BenQ introduced Go Green E900HD and G900HD monitors that are environment friendly and consume less power. They employ a 2-lamp design that achieves the same brightness as 4-lamp models.
BenQ has been promoting the Go Green monitors by focusing on the fact that they consume 25 per cent less energy than conventional models.
Carbon dioxide emission is reduced by up to 25 per cent and mercury emission is reduced by up to 50 per cent.
