Computers and their peripheral equipment use a considerable amount of energy (see our article How Much Electricty Does a Computer Use? for details) and contain hazardous materials but it's easy to make reduce their environmental impact. Here's some things that you may like to do:
1. Use power management. Your computer has power management settings that enable it to automatically sleep after a period of inactivity. Enabling these options is easy and can save $60 per year on your electricity bill - which translates to half a ton of CO2. If you are unsure how to turn on the power management options for your computer, see our article Reduce Energy Usage with Power Management Settings.
2. Turn off your screensaver. Screensavers are unnecessary eye-candy on modern monitors and running one can increase energy consumption as it may prevent the monitor from dimming when idle. See this article for more information.
3. When not in use, turn off the juice. Your computer and its peripherals - printers, speakers, etc. - use a energy even when idle or sleeping. So, once you have finished work for the day, be sure to switch everything off. Should you wish to go a step further, unplug the computer and peripherals as they continue to use a small amount of energy even when switched off (this will also help prevent your equipment being damaged by surges!). Remember too that computers and other electronic devices generate heat when on – and that can lead to extra spending on air conditioning! See this article for more information.
4. Buy green. When the time comes to buy a new computer, choose ENERGY STAR qualified product (see www.energy.gov for more information). See our Green Buyer Guide for more ideas.
5. Recycle. Instead of sending your old computer to landfill, recycle it. Charities such as the Little Geeks Foundation (www.littlegeeks.org) collect old computers and distribute them to underprivileged children. Look to see what recycling options are available in your city. See our article Computer Recycling: Don't Just Give It Away, Make Money for more ideas. And if you are considering giving your computer away, be sure to securely delete the data before doing so!
6. Upgrade. Do you really need to throw out your aging computer? Maybe upgrading would give it a new lease of life!
7. Use an environmentally-friendly search engine. Some search engines, such as EcoSearch.org, donate a portion of their profits to environmental causes. Try one! They're easy to use and you'll be helping a worthwhile cause!
While these steps may not lead to substantial savings, if enough people do them we can make our molehills into mountains!