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 Stationery giant improves green stance.Thursday 14 November 2002 Tesco to stock Remarkable goods.Monday 05 August 2002  |
 Office Design Services Friday 04 March 2005 Office equipment is the fastest growing user of energy in the business world. While energy use for heating and lighting offices is becoming more efficient and decreasing, the energy used by office equipment continues to rise. Electricity consumed due to office equipment in the UK already costs million each year and is rapidly increasing. Your costs may be behaving similarly. Electricity consumption by office equipment now represents 25% of total electrical energy use in offices and its impact on the environment is, therefore, considerable. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions arising from such consumption are a major contributor to climate change. Furthermore, because of the limited life of most office equipment, substantial waste is produced when equipment is finally disposed of. Fortunately, there is now an extensive range of environmentally preferable products, which can reduce your costs and environmental impact. These products are often no more expensive to purchase, and are usually cheaper to operate. By paying proper attention to reducing the environmental effects of their activities, organisations can: cut their operating costs ensure they comply with legislation improve their image with staff, customers and other stakeholders, gaining extra business by so doing make a contribution to protecting the environment. WEIGHING UP THE FACTORS There are several important factors to bear in mind when considering environmentally preferable equipment. The lifetime running cost of office equipment is as important, and can be greater than, the purchase price (see table 1). Environmentally preferable equipment can usually reduce such costs. Organisations that demonstrate attention to environmental issues have an improved image with stakeholders. They are seen to be up-to-date and aware of the problems of the modern world. Future legislation is likely to force organisations to consider the environmental implications of disposal of office equipment. Some already do. Buying environmentally preferable products does not mean compromising on performance. Most manufacturers tend to consider environmental and technological improvements together. Hence equipment that has reduced environmental impact often has enhanced performance. Most importantly, when purchasing new office equipment you should select products that not only meet the organisation=B9s needs and provide value for money but also have the least impact on the environment. You gain from both. Often new office equipment is bought when an existing appliance, although still functional, has been superseded by a newer model. Before making the decision to dispose of the old equipment, consider whether it could be used elsewhere in the organisation, perhaps for less demanding work. If this is not feasible then recycle or dispose of the equipment in an environmentally sensitive way. THE ALTERNATIVES There are many no-cost alternatives to throwing away equipment. Certainly, if you have an environmental policy you should ensure that unwanted equipment is put to good use. Even where you have no financial gain, a good environmental policy will always enhance your organisations image. Ensure your annual report highlights it. Ask your equipment supplier if they will take back the item for disposal. Some suppliers operate take-back schemes and will refurbish useful components and reclaim precious metals. A few commercial organisations buy used computer systems for refurbishment and resale. The DTI estimates that 126 000 tons of PC hardware are disposed of in the UK each year. This is the equivalent of 315 Boeing 747s. For redundant office equipment follow the UK waste hierarchy. Reduce the amount of unnecessary equipment you buy. Reuse equipment for other, less demanding purposes. Recycle the equipment or the components. Alternatively, find out about community reuse schemes where computers are upgraded by the unemployed or disabled and sold or donated to schools. These schemes operate in many areas and allow companies to make a valuable contribution to their local community. The Department of Trade and Industrys (DTI) guide Unwanted Computer Equipment: A Guide To Reuse contains a list of organisations that refurbish equipment and addresses potential concerns about donating equipment for refurbishment, such as data security and liability for equipment failure during second use. Consumables such as print and toner cartridges can be recycled. There are many suppliers of recycled products who will also collect used cartridges. Disposal of waste equipment and consumables must be in accordance with the Duty of Care placed on producers of waste by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The office equipment market is changing rapidly. Its wider uses means that the energy it uses also continues to grow rapidly. This section summarises the product developments introduced since the publication of companion GPG 118 in 1997. LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY SCREENS Liquid crystal display (LCD) screens are now widely available and their cost continues to fall. These screens use 80% less energy than conventional CRT monitors. Their initial higher cost can often be offset by lower office rental costs =AD they occupy less space than CRT monitors and by lower energy costs. Other environmental benefits include: no electromagnetic emissions, eliminating any negative effects on health less screen flicker, again benefiting the user=B9s health. PLASMA DISPLAY Plasma screens are an efficient option for large displays, offering large screens that are only a few centimetres thick. Their energy consumption is much less than the equivalent CRT display. New technologies under development include light-emitting polymer displays which may offer even greater energy efficiency. COMBINATION COPIER/PRINTER/FAX The primary function of combination devices is normally copying but they can also perform printing or faxing as a secondary function. Combination devices are energy efficient because they avoid the cumulative idling and standby energy consumption from separate machines. They also save on resources, because only one set of components is required. DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY Digital technology is increasingly available for copiers at slightly higher cost. The result is savings in energy consumption, improvements in paper efficiency and lower maintenance requirements. INSTANT-WARM-UP COPIERS Some manufacturers are introducing copiers that warm up almost instantly, by the time the first copy reaches the heated ink-sealing roller. This means that they can be set to remain in standby mode without wasting staff time. These are currently only available at speeds of up to 20 cpm but faster machines are expected to become available. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN Sustainable product design uses life-cycle analysis and takes account of the need to minimise the use of materials in its manufacture, plus the impact of the product on the environment at the end of its life. These products have lower running and disposal costs, and will often also have reduced levels of noise and thermal emissions, thus improving the working environment. Sustainable products may incorporate remanufactured parts and use a high proportion of materials that can be recycled. They also, typically, use returnable cartridges and include features such as the ability to use recycled paper. Furthermore, they can be dismantled easily for recycling purposes. There is a great deal of information available about environmentally preferable office equipment on the world wide web. Most equipment manufacturers have up-to-date web pages with information on the environmental performance of their products and their environmental policies. LABELLING SCHEMES Information about Energy Star products can be found at:=A0 http://www.energystar.gov Information about the European Union=A0 Eco-labelling scheme can be found at:=A0 http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg11/ecolabel The TCO scheme has a web site giving current standards and a list of products that have been awarded the label: http://www.tco-info.com GOVERNMENT Department of the Environment Transport and Regions (DETR): http://www.detr.gov.uk DETR Greening Government web site: http://www.environment.detr.gov.uk/greening/gghome.htm Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) http://www.dti.gov.uk The DETRs Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme (building-related) has a web site at: http://www.bre.co.uk/brecsu/ The DETRs Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme for industry and the Environmental Technology Best Practice programme (a DETR and DTI initiative) can be found at: http://www.etsu.com |
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