Green Computing Tips

Everyone is jumping on the green bandwagon. And no, we aren’t talking about the color of the wagon, but rather the concept of going green. The automotive industry continues to announce new environmentally friendly cars and trucks, while remodeling companies are now offering sustainable flooring and recycled building materials as options. So what is the computer industry doing to contribute to the effort?

 This article from ITWorld.com provides four tips for greener computing.

 1.   Use PDFs: Paper products account for the largest portion of American’s trash – roughly 68 million tons in 2007 alone.  One way to combat this problem is to eliminate the countless instances where we unnecessarily use paper products. For instance, instead of printing receipts for every online purchase, press Command-P and in the Print window that appears, click on the PDF button. Choose Save PDF To Web Receipts Folder and a copy of the receipt—images and all—will be saved to a pre-made folder in youruserfolder/Documents.

2.   Be a smart printer: If you really do need to print something, be mindful of what you are doing. When possible, print on both sides of the paper. This will cut your paper use in half.

3.   Turn devices off when they are not in use: Sounds simple, right? Well, most people leave their computers and other digital devices running even when they are not being used – unnecessarily wasting energy. Even sleeping computers draw power, so it is still better to turn your computer off when you are done with it.

4.   Reuse old equipment: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 29.9 million desktops and 12 million laptops were discarded in 2007—that's roughly 115,000 computers out with the trash each day. Similarly, the agency estimates 235 million units of electronic products are in storage—sitting unused in-home closets, attics, or basements. Wouldn’t it make more sense to donate these items instead of carelessly throwing them aside? One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, after all.

So do your part to help make the world a better place in which to live. If you have any questions, contact Certified CIO by calling 443-283-0666 or click here today!