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Congratulations!
You have just purchased a TCO'99 approved and labelled product! Your choice has provided you with a product developed for
professional use. Your purchase has also contributed to reducing the burden on the environment and also to the further
development of environmentally adapted electronics products.
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 electronics equipment are concerned, is that
environmentally harmful substances are used both in the products and during their manufacture. Since it is not so far possible to
satisfactorily recycle the majority of electronics equipment, 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 the viewpoints of
both the work (internal) and natural (external) environments. Since all methods of electricity generation have a negative effect on
the environment (e.g. acidic and climateinfluencing emissions, radioactive waste), it is vital to save energy. Electronics equipment
in offices is often left running continuously and thereby consumes a lot of energy.
What does labelling involve?
This product meets the requirements for the TCO'99 scheme which provides for international and environmental labelling of
personal computers. The labelling scheme was developed as a joint effort by the TCO (The Swedish Confederation of
Professional Employees), Svenska Naturskyddsforeningen (The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation) and Statens
Energimyndighet (The Swedish National Energy Administration).
Approval requirements cover a wide range of issues:
environment, ergonomics, usability, emission of electric and magnetic fields, energy consumption and electrical and fire safety.
The environmental demands impose restrictions on the presence and use of heavy metals, brominated and chlorinated flame
retardants, CFCs (freons) and chlorinated solvents, among other things. The product must be prepared for recycling and the
manufacturer is obliged to have an environmental policy 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, physical and visual ergonomics and good usability.
Below you will find a brief summary of the environmental requirements met by this product. The complete environmental criteria
document may be ordered from:
TCO Development
SE-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden
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