Electronics: Buying green - WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC

Environmentally responsible electronics use involves not only proper end-of-life disposition of obsolete equipment, but also purchasing new equipment that has been designed with environmentally preferable attributes.

Think about this when purchasing new equipment, and ask your retailer or electronics supplier about environmentally preferable electronics. Households, companies, and governmental organizations can encourage electronics manufacturers to design greener electronics by purchasing computers and other electronics with environmentally preferable attributes and by requesting takeback options at the time of purchase.

Look for electronics that:

• Contain fewer toxic constituents.
• Use recycled materials in the new product.
• Are energy efficient (e.g., showing the Energy Star label).
• Are designed for easy upgrading or disassembly.
• Use minimal packaging.
• Offer leasing or takeback options.
• Meet performance criteria showing they are environmentally preferable.