Computers and the Environment: Understanding and Managing their Impacts

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-viii

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2. Computers and the Environment—An Introduction to Understanding and Managing their Impacts

   • Ruediger Kuehr, German T. Velasquez, Eric Williams

   Pages 1-15

3. Information Technology Products and the Environment

   • H. Scott Matthews, Deanna H. Matthews

   Pages 17-39

4. Environmental Impacts in the Production of Personal Computers

   • Eric Williams

   Pages 41-72

5. How the European Union’s Weee Directive will Change the Market for Electronic Equipment—Two Scenarios

   • Klaus Hieronymi, Axel Schneider

   Pages 73-86

6. IBM’s Environmental Management of Product Aspects

   • Reinhard Höhn, Anne Brinkley

   Pages 87-98

7. Environmental Management at Fujitsu Siemens Computers

   • Harald Podratzky

   Pages 99-130

8. Energy Consumption and Personal Computers

   • Danielle Cole

   Pages 131-159

9. PCS and Consumers—A Look at Green Demand, Use, and Disposal

   • Mohamed Saied, German T. Velasquez

   Pages 161-181

10. Strategizing the End-of-Life Handling of Personal Computers: Resell, Upgrade, Recycle

    • Eric Williams, Yukihiro Sasaki

    Pages 183-196

11. Today’s Markets for used PCS—and Ways to Enhance them

    • Eric Williams, Ruediger Kuehr

    Pages 197-209

12. Recycling Personal Computers

    • Stefan Klatt

    Pages 211-229

13. Operations of a Computer Equipment Resource Recovery Facility

    • Joseph Sarkis

    Pages 231-251

14. Managing PCS Through Policy: Review and Ways to Extend Lifespan

    • Ruediger Kuehr

    Pages 253-278

15. Back Matter

    Pages 279-285

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Personal computers have made life convenient in many ways, but what about their impacts on the environment due to production, use and disposal? Manufacturing computers requires prodigious quantities of fossil fuels, toxic chemicals and water. Rapid improvements in performance mean we often buy a new machine every 1-3 years, which adds up to mountains of waste computers. How should societies respond to manage these environmental impacts?
This volume addresses the environmental impacts and management of computers through a set of analyses on issues ranging from environmental assessment, technologies for recycling, consumer behaviour, strategies of computer manufacturing firms, and government policies. One conclusion is that extending the lifespan of computers (e.g. through reselling) is an environmentally and economically effective strategy that deserves more attention from governments, firms and the general public.

• Environmental Management
• Information Technology (IT)
• Recycling
• computer
• environment
• management
• performance
• production
• technology
• air pollution and air quality

• Zero Emissions Forum, United Nations University, Hamburg, Germany

  Ruediger Kuehr

• Environmental and Sustainable Development Programme, United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan

  Eric Williams

Policies and ethics