TCO’99 STATEMENT
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.
