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Department of Technology & Information

08/27/2009

310

GREEN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)



DID YOU KNOW?


 

The State of Delaware Partners in Technology Program has the first right of refusal for all state owned computer equipment that is declared to be in excess of the agency’s needs.

Partners in Technology accepts:
desktop computers • laptops • scanners • fax machines • printers • software

 

"Energy-intensive data centers, which run 24 hours, seven days a week, consume significant amounts of electricity - estimated 20 to 30 billion kilowatt hours annually, roughly equal to the electricity consumption of the entire state of Utah.", said report author and Alliance Vice President of Research and Analysis Joe Loper. "That electricity costs $2 to $3 billion a year and requires about 30 power plants." 1

 

While end-of-life electronics currently comprise only a small amount (1 to 4 percent) of the municipal waste stream, that percentage is expected to grow dramatically in the next few years. Government plays a key role in the electronics recycling industry by establishing policies and overseeing the activities involved in the recycling process. 2

 

One ton of traditional office paper requires 98 tons of resources to produce. Its production also releases 5,700 pounds of climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions, and 2,200 pounds of solid waste. 3

 

Manufacturing a typical desktop computer creates 139 pounds of waste and 49 pounds of hazardous materials. Producing the six-inch silicon wafer from which computer chips are cut generates 2,840 gallons of wastewater and seven pounds of hazardous waste. 4

 

One ton of recycled paper saves 3,700 pounds of lumber and 24,000 gallons of water.

 

Recycled paper saves 60% energy vs. virgin paper. 5

 

A single high-powered rack of computer servers consumes enough energy each year to power a hybrid car across the United States 337 times. 6

 

"As much as 10 percent of the electricity used in your home is wasted energy burned by adaptors, chargers, computers, and other appliances that we leave plugged in when we're not using them," says Thomas Kostigen, co-author of The Green Book (2007). "When we do that across the planet, you start to see how much of an effect that has on energy consumption."

 

According to Kostigen's research published in The Green Book, if every U.S. household unplugged cell phone chargers and computers when not in use, "collectively we'd save $100 million—enough to provide free health care to every low-income child under the age of five in the state of California."

 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans buy nearly 3 billion dry-cell batteries containing lead, cadmium, nickel, and other heavy metals each year. When batteries are improperly dumped in landfills, the metals can contaminate the air, ground, and/or water.

 

It takes one 15-year old tree to produce HALF a box of office paper.  According to an InfoTrends study, the average office worker uses 130 lbs. of paper/year. That is approximately 37 reams of paper per person or almost 4 BOXES of paper.

 

Every year enough paper is thrown away to make a 12 foot wall from New York to California. 7

 

A recent PC Pro Labs study in England showed that 25% of office computer users leave their computers running all weekend and 65% leave them running a screen saver rather than in sleep mode. 8

 

Energy costs are expected to be over 50% of an IT budget for a typical data center.

 

Recycle at your desk - make green easy by setting up a recycling station that's within arm's reach all day long. 9

 

How to go green at work.

 
DSWA Curbside Recycling
DSWA Curbside Recycling
Last Updated: Tuesday, 28-Apr-2009 09:29:10 EDT
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