5 Characteristics of Eco-Friendly Laptops

Apr 21, 2023

If you’re shopping for a new laptop and want to make it as sustainable a choice as possible, you are probably wondering what to look out for.

There are plenty of characteristics of laptops that have direct and indirect impact on how sustainable they are. Some of them are noticeable at first sight, others are hidden a bit deeper and might not be as obvious.

Here are a couple of pointers for what an environmentally-friendly laptop is and how buying one helps you to do your part in protecting the Earth.

The easiest way to distinguish whether a laptop is eco-friendly or not is to look for international ecolabels. If you’re shopping in store, these can come in the form of stickers on the computer chassis or badges in the product brochures, promotional flyers, and other marketing materials. If you’re shopping online, information about such labels can be found on product sites.

Such ecolabels are awarded by third-party certification organizations. Each one is a testament to a different aspect of sustainability. Here are two you should pay special attention to:

EPEAT®

EPEAT® is a leading global ecolabel covering technology products and services. EPEAT-registered products are greener choices than those without the EPEAT certification, as it relates to entire product lifecycle, from the extraction of resources and manufacturing to assembly, use, and end of life. There are three tiers of EPEAT certification: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. As expected, Gold is the highest standard of eco-friendliness.

ENERGY STAR®

ENERGY STAR® is a globally recognized certificate for energy efficiency. Products that earn the ENERGY STAR® label help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The materials used in producing a laptop are very important in determining how eco-friendly it is.

Many ASUS laptops feature components made of post-consumer recycled plastic or sometimes even recycled ocean-bound plastic, and many also integrate post-industrial recycled metal. Parts made of such materials may include keyboard keycaps, speakers, peripherals, adapters, and even chassis covers. Over 1,500 tons of post-consumer recycled plastics have been used in the last five years to produce ASUS laptops.

But sustainability means more than just recycling. It also refers to responsibly sourced material. ASUS is a full member of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA). Throughout the entire supply chain, we ensure our vendors meet the highest standards of environmental protection, implement labor rights management, and only source materials from qualified smelters of tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold.

Finally, there’s the packaging to consider. It is an important aspect of how green a laptop is. Many of the boxes used for ASUS laptops are made from either recycled or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC™)-certified paper to ensure minimal plastic usage and fight deforestation. And there’s more! Thanks to its innovative design, some of the packaging material used for ASUS laptops can be easily transformed into a laptop stand!

Energy efficiency is another very important aspect of eco-friendliness. Production of energy typically depletes natural resources, and it also usually pollutes the environment. While the world is making progress in improving how we produce electricity, there’s still a ways to go.

The more energy-efficient a laptop is the less electricity it consumes, and thus the smaller environmental impact it has.

Look for a laptop with ENERGY STAR® certification. ASUS laptops, for example, on average exceed the ENERGY STAR standard by as much as 37.6%!

It’s also a massive plus if it’s optimized to increase battery life. The longer you can use your laptop on a single charge, the better for the environment. There’s of course also the benefit of mobility. Many ultraportable ASUS laptops are optimized to maximize battery life. Via the MyASUS app, you can customize many power-related settings, such as various battery modes—including one that maximizes the battery lifespan to make sure you have it running well for longer and don’t need to swap it as often.

Aside from the obvious financial benefit of buying a laptop that will last you a long time, getting a durable device also helps protect the environment. The fewer laptops that are made, the smaller the carbon footprint.

To ensure you get a laptop that will last, look for one tested for durability. ASUS laptops go through a multitude of U.S. Military Standard tests that examine their endurance in extreme conditions as well as everyday scenarios.

In addition, we are adopting modular design features in ASUS laptops to ensure that when one part needs to be replaced, you can swap that component out, instead of replacing the entire device.

And one final tip: Buy a laptop that’s a little more powerful than you need at the moment. Crucial components like the CPU and GPU are usually permanent in a laptop and cannot be upgraded like in a desktop. Extra laptop performance can be a bonus, making you ready for ever-more-hungry software of the future. It’s also great if you buy a laptop with available RAM and storage slots to enable easy upgrades when you need to run heavier software or store more files in the future.

One additional thing to keep in mind is whether the manufacturer you are buying from can help you recycle your laptop when you swap it for a new one.

ASUS, for example, runs an extensive recycling program. Available in 30 countries, it includes drop-off, mail-back, trade-in, and pick-up services. When you are changing a laptop, simply reach out to the nearest ASUS recycling service provider, and we will make sure the materials used to produce it will get recycled and re-used to create new products and get a second life. Oh! And the best thing? We can help recycle a laptop from any brand, not only ASUS!

Protecting the environment is becoming easier. Today, you don’t need to choose between high-quality goods and sustainable ones. ASUS laptops are a great example. Eco-certified, they are top-quality portable computers that will accompany you for years to come—with many options available at an attractive price.

You can find your next Eco Certified ASUS laptop here.

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