COMP 4923 A2 Impact of IT Consumables

1. COMP 4923 A2Impact of IT Consumables Danny Silver JSOCS, Acadia University

2. Sales of PCs is Staggering • 1980 - 300,000 desktops sold in US • 1981 – sales increased 500% • Computer sales have been growing about 10 percent a year • Over 130 million computers sold each year • 2002 – 1 billion PCs sold worldwide

3. PC Sales: 1986-2009

4. So what happen in 2009?

5. Computer Manufacturinghttp://update.unu.edu/archive/issue31_5.htm (2004) • Average 24 kg desktop computer with monitor • Requires 10 times its weight in fossil fuels and chemicals to manufacture • Automobile or refrigerator, requires 1-2 times their weight in fossil fuels • One desktop and 17-inch CRT monitor uses: • 240 kg of fossil fuels, 22 kg of chemicals and 1,500 kg of water – a total of 1.8 tonnes of materials.

6. Computer Manufacturinghttp://update.unu.edu/archive/issue31_5.htm (2004) • The combination of • high-energy manufacturing process • short lifespan of computer use • Raise computer lifetime environment-related energy impacts to about the same level as a refrigerator

7. The Impact of Printers • Printers (like most PC components) have three stages in the product life cycle – each with different environmental impacts: • Creation – extraction of raw materials and manufacture of the printer • Use – the use of consumables • Disposal – recyle, reuse Source: http://businesslatitude.blogspot.com/2008/01/its-new-year-and-among-my-many-new.html

8. Printer Creation • Many printer companies (Xerox, Canon, HP, Epson, Bother and Lexmark) have environmental policies and management plans that deal with sourcing raw materials and the manufacturing process (meet ISO 14001 environmental practices) : • Make energy efficient printers • Use recycled plastics and parts • Have a program for end-of-life disposal of cartridges and printer bodies

9. Paper Consumption • Paper is the biggest cause of printer-related carbon emissions • 500 pack of paper responsible for 30.5 lbs of released CO2 • Carbon Rally.com - http://www.carbonrally.com/challenges/18-paper-waste • Buy recycled - for drafts, recycled paper works great • Use both sides of the paper before putting it into the recycle bin • Collect paper with print on one side for use in dedicated ‘drafts’ printer (refilled/recycled cartridges, draft ink setting) • Recycle your paper in the blue bins / bags

10. Methods of Reducing Paper and other PC Consumables • Add a standard email footer asking people not to print unnecessarily *THINK GREEN – READ IT ON THE SCREEN* • Change default printer settings to be double sided printing • Replace older printers with more efficient devices such as Multi-Functions Printers (MFPs) • Replace faxes with paperless solutions such as fax-to-email • Replace copiers with scanners (scan and email) • Replace paper memos with email • Switch customer and supplier communications to email and extranet systems such as e-billing, e-purchasing Source: http://www.myecoworld.net/green_computing/green_computing.aspx

11. Paper Consumption • Paper over-consumption: An Intervention • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adtSq1UZRxg • How to Reduce Your Paper Waste • http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Reduce-Your-Paper-Waste-148694844

12. Reduce Printer Use • Ask your self “Do I need to print at all?” • Replace hardcopies with appropriate archive and backup systems • Print to PDF/JPG/XPS files to check the layout of your doc - often much quicker than printing • Become friends with the draft function of the printer settings.

13. Printer Consumable Ink Consumables: • Most businesses recycle laser toner cartridges • Ink jet cartridges can be recycled too • Refilled for costs savings or the components recycled • Set up a draft printer for non-critical prints • Don't use colour unless you really need it • Buy a printer that enables the colour cartridges to be separated

14. Ink Alternatives / Futures • Solid Ink Printers: • For: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjJDzLHtOZA&feature=related • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpvmtaHALks • Against: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9IklsoV9TY&feature=related • Please send me your thoughts?

15. Printer Disposal • Printers are not made for the landfill • Most of the major manufactures / stores will accept your printer • Recondition the printer for second hand use or separate the printer components for recycling • Avoid “recyclers” who ship to other countries

16. Do you have any of this at home?

17. Computer Disposal • Monitors and PCs contain significant quantities of heavy metals such as: • lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium • Pose potential health risks to production workers and environmental risks to water supplies near landfills where they are eventually dumped

18. Printer Consumable Ink Consumables • Planet Ark will take any cartridge you have - toner or ink jet - in their “Cartridges 4 Planet Ark” program (http://www.planetark.org.au/campaignspage.cfm/newsid/5/story.htm). • 50% of cartridges receive are sent back to the major manufactures and the cartridge and ink recycled • 50% get separated into components and made into products like e-wood (ink used to colour the “wood”)

19. Videos