Regulatory Information cont.
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 electronic equipment are
concerned is that environmentally harmful substances are
used both in the products and during their manufacture.
Since it has not been possible so far for the majority of
electronic 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 both
the working and natural environment viewpoints. Since all
types of conventional electricity generation have a
negative effect on the environment (acidic- and climatic-
influencing emissions, radioactive waste, etc.), it is vital to
conserve energy. Electronic equipment in offices
consumes as enormous amount of energy, since it is often
routinely left running continuously.
What does the environmenal labelling involve?
This product meets the requirements for the TCO’95
scheme, which provides for international environmental
labelling of personal computers. The labelling scheme was
developed as a joint effort by the TCO (The Swedish
Confederation of Professional Employees),
Naturckyddsföreningen (The Swedish Society for Nature
Conservation), and NUTEK (The National Board for
Industrial and Technical Development in Sweden), and
SEMKO AB (an international certification agency).
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, among other things,
restriction on the presence and use of heavy metals,
brominated and chlorinated flame retardants, CFCs
(freons), and chlorinated solvents. 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, along with physical and visual
ergonomics and good usability.
The following is a brief summary of the environmental
requirements met by this product. The complete
environmental criteria document may be ordered from:
TCO Development Unit
Linnegatan 14, S-11494 Stockholm, Sweden
FAX +46-8 782 92 07
E-mail (Internet): [email protected]
Current information regarding TCO’95 approved and
labelled products may also be obtained on the Internet
using the address: http://www.tco-info.com/
TCO’95 is a co-operative project between:
Environmental requirements
Brominated flame retardants are present in printed circuit
boards, cabling, casings, and housings, and are added to
delay the spread of fire. Up to 30% of the plastic in a
computer casing can consist of flame-retardant
substances. These are related to another group of
environmental toxins, PCBs, and are suspected of giving
rise to similar harm, including reproductive damage in fish-
eating birds and mammals. Flame retardants have been
found in human blood, and researchers fear that they can
disturb fetus development.
Bio-accumulative1 TCO’95 demands require that plastic
components weighing more than 25 grams must not
contain flame retardants with organically bound chlorine or
bromine.
Lead can be found in picture tubes, display screens,
solder, and capacitors. Lead damages the nervous
system and in higher doses causes lead poisoning. The
NUTEK
Naturskydds
föreningen
Närings- och teknikutvecklingsverket
SEMKO
