14 DAY TRIAL // It’s not a novelty that gadgets are often deemed unsafe for the environment. But some manufacturers are more concerned about the dangers of affecting the ecosystem we live in than others.
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries has just announced Dell as the winner of the 2014 Design for Recycling Awards. Two tablets and a laptop are the recipients of the prize, in the form of the Dell Latitude 10 and XPS 10 tablets and Latitude E7240 laptop.
The President of ISRI, Robin Weiner, explains why they have chosen Dell.
“As Dell demonstrates, effective recycling begins at the drawing board. There were many strong contenders for this year’s award, but Dell’s strong commitment to sustainability, both through its own practices and for those who use its products, rose above the crowd.”
The three products were designed by Dell to fit recycling parameters. In doing so, the company has taken extra precautions to clearly label the devices’ parts for identification, has used the minimum glues/adhesives and has provided complete guides on how to disassemble the products.
Evaluating the environmental impact of laptops requires assessment of everything from materials used to manufacture them to their durability and energy efficiency and even whether they are easy reused or recycled at the end of their usual life.
Laptops can have a smaller ecological footprint during their life, but they can potentially cause environmental damage if not managed properly when they become obsolete.