What happens when you dump your old PC in the trash or trade it in? Are you just happy just to have it out
of your house when you no longer need it? Is it someone else's Problem? Where does it all go?
Which is more eco-friendly: Laptops or Desktops?
Laptops
Desktops
Material Consumption
Laptops are compact single modular units, which use less plastic for the casing and less PCB for the motherboard
Desktops are multi component units, CPUs casings are made of steel and motherboards are larger
Operational Consumption
laptops are designed to use minimum power to make the battery last longer
Desktop CPU can house secondary DVD/CD/HD drives which needs more power, old st lye CRT monitors also use more power than their Laptop
LCD screen equivalents.
Transportation
Laptops are way smaller and lighter, many more units can fit into a container for transport by shipping or trucking, reducing the
fuel consumption and pollution per unit.
Desktops take more space and are heavier, therefore they incur higher fuel consumption and pollution
Life Span
Laptops are easy to pack and take with you when you move, they are also more suit for smaller apartments, so
its convenient to hang on to it for longer time periods and sell it only to upgrade.
Desktops are more bulky and take up more desk space, these PCs are more troublesome to hang on to when your circumstances change.
Re-Sale
Laptops retain more value on re-sale because they are easier to sell, you just pack it and call the courier.
Desktops are like white elephants once they are outdated, because its harder to pack and ship and sell on as it takes up more space.
How to minimize e-waste?
Think about upgrading by adding more ram and swapping out to a larger HD rather than buying a whole new system.
Re-sell your unwanted equipment and superseded components, give or donate it to someone who will USE it, the best way to recycle its to re-use.
There are plenty of web sites like freecycle.org, craig's list or your local ads paper that allows your to list unwanted
computers and peripherals for free, people may even come to your door to collect it without you having to take it to the post office.
You can even clean up your old systems up, and take it down to your local thrift shop. If you want to make a little cash, you can always sell it on ebay,
even if its just for spares or repairs, which ever way you chose to go, make sure your old equipment goes to another end user when possible.
Home
Laptops are compact single modular units, which use less plastic for the casing and less PCB for the motherboard
Desktops are multi component units, CPUs casings are made of steel and motherboards are larger