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Congratulations!
You have just purchased a TCO’95 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.
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 the manufacturing. Since it has not been possible for the majority of electronics
equipment to be recycled in a satisfactory way, 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 conventional electricity generation have a negative effect on
the environment (acidic and climate-influencing emissions, radioactive waste, etc.), it is vital to conserve energy. Electronics equipment in
offices consume an enormous amount of energy since they are often left running continuously.
What does labelling involve?
This product meets the requirements for the TCO’95 scheme which provides for international and environmental labelling of personal
computers. The labelling scheme was developed as a joint effort by the TCO (The Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees),
Naturskyddsforeningen (The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation) and NUTEK (The National Board for Industrial and Technical
Development in Sweden).
The requirements cover a wide range of issues: environment, ergonomics, usability, emission of electrical and magnetic fields, energy
consumption and electrical and fire safety.
The environmental demands concern 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 plan 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.
Labelled products must meet strict environmental demands, for example, in respect of the reduction of electric and magnetic fields, physical
and visual ergonomics and good usability.
On the next page, you will find a brief summary of the environmental requirements met by this product. The complete environmental
criteria document may be ordered from:
