Lenovo T560 Manual page 35

Environmental Labelling of Personal Computers
Congratulations!
Why do we have
environmentally
labelled computers?
What does the
environmenal
labelling involve?
What does the
environmenal
labelling involve?
You have just purchased a TCO'95 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 to the further
development of environmentally-adapted electronic products.
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 electronic equipment are concerned is that
environmentally harmful substances are used both in the products and during their
manufacture. Since it has not been possible so far for the majority of electronic
equipment to be recycled in a satisfactory way, 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 both the working and natural environment viewpoints.
Since all types of conventional electricity generation have a negative effect on the
environment (acidic- and climatic-influencing emissions, radioactive waste, etc.), it is
vital to conserve energy. Electronic equipment in offices consumes as enormous
amount of energy, since it is often routinely left running continuously.
This product meets the requirements for the TCO'95 scheme, which provides for
international environmental labelling of personal computers. The labelling scheme
was developed as a joint effort by the TCO (The Swedish Confederation of
Professional Employees), Naturckyddsföreningen (The Swedish Society for Nature
Conservation), and NUTEK (The National Board for Industrial and Technical
Development in Sweden), and SEMKO AB (an international certification agency).
The requirements cover a wide range of issues: environment, ergonomics, usability,
emission of electrical and magnetic fields, energy consumption and electrical and fire
safety.
The environmental demands concern, among other things, restriction on the
presence and use of heavy metals, brominated and chlorinated flame retardants,
CFCs (freons), and chlorinated solvents. The product must be prepared for recycling,
and the manufacturer is obliged to have an environmental plan, which must be
adhered to in each country where the company implements its operational policy.