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Congratulations!
You have just purchased a TCO'99 approved and labelled product! Your choice has provided you with a
product developed for professional use. Your purchase has also contributed to reducing the burden on the
environment and also to the further development of environmentally adapted electronics products.
This product meets the requirements for the TCO'99 scheme which provides for an international
environmental and quality labelling of personal computers. The labelling scheme was developed as a joint
effort by the TCO (The Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees), Svenska Naturskyddsforeningen
(The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation), Statens Energimyndighet (The Swedish National Energy
Administration) and SEMKO AB.
The requirements cover a wide range of issues: environment, ergonomics, usability, reduction of electric and
magnetic fields, energy consumption and electrical safety.
Why do we have environmentally labelled computers?
In many countries, environmental labelling has become an established method for encouraging the adaptation
of goods and services to the environment. The main problem, as far as computers and other electronics
equipment are concerned, is that environmentally harmful substances are used both in the products and during
their manufacture. Since it is not so far possible to satisfactorily recycle the majority of electronics equipment,
most of these potentially damaging substances sooner or later enter nature.
There are also other characteristics of a computer, such as energy consumption levels, that are important from
the viewpoints of both the work (internal) and natural (external) environments. Since all methods of electricity
generation have a negative effect on the environment (e.g. acidic and climate-influencing emissions,
radioactive waste), it is vital to save energy. Electronics equipment in offices is often left running continuously
and thereby consumes a lot of energy.
What does the environmenal labelling involve?
The environmental demands has been developed by Svenska Naturskyddsforeningen (The Swedish Society
for Nature Conservation). These demands impose restrictions on the presence and use of heavy metals,
brominated and chlorinated flame retardants, CFCs (freons) and chlorinated solvents, among other things. The
product must be prepared for recycling and the manufacturer is obliged to have an environmental policy which
must be adhered to in each country where the company implements its operational policy.
The energy requirements include a demand that the computer and/or display, after a certain period of inactivity,
shall reduce its power consumption to a lower level in one or more stages. The length of time to reactivate the
computer shall be reasonable for the user.
29 January, 1999
