Green Electronics: Hype or Hope - Essay Example

Green Electronics: Hype? Or Hope? In this modern day and age, electronic gadgets have become a crucial part of our lives. Nowadays, it is almost unimaginable to spend a day without your cell phone or laptop by our side. But with newer, better models constantly coming out of the market, replacing the old ones is such a demand that it becomes a problem. Why? Most of the discarded gadgets end up in landfills, and mind you, they are impossible to decompose. Most contain metals and high amounts of lead which are harmful to the environment. Thus, the demand for green electronics came to be. Undeniably, “going green” is the latest trend these days. It pushes consumers change their buying practices and lifestyle to become environmentally conscious and responsible for the well-being of our planet. With all the strengthened campaigns against global warming, all industries, including the electronics sector, seem to be keen on going with the hype. But is it really just hype? This paper will argue that “going green”, especially in the electronics sector, is not a mere propaganda, but a real hope to create a sustainable living in the modern world. The Demand for Green Electronics It is known that consumer electronics are far from friendly to the environment — they consume lots of energy thereby contributing to global warming. Aside from that, electronic goods also leach out toxins when they are discarded in landfills. However, technology is getting better by the minute, and there is always a pressure for companies to switch to newer, more innovative gadgets. Thus, the demand to “go green” helped shape a technological area known as green electronics. According to Casey Harrell, a Greenpeace International toxics campaigner, green electronics is specifically defined as the production of consumer electronic products that are “free from toxic chemicals and excels in energy efficiency and durability” (Beaumont, 2009). In recent years, there has been high demand for electronic manufacturers to produce environmentally friendly products to minimize the adverse effects of global warming and climate change. This large consumer demand on green electronics can be seen everywhere. Various consumer products are now labelled as “eco-friendly”, “organic”, “green”, “renewable”, “sustainable”, “recyclable” and other similar terms which carry the idea that the product is ideal for the environment. As such, environmental skeptics are concerned that the movement to “go green” is merely a hoax and is used as a marketing ploy to lure consumers on this environmental “hype”. Misleading and Meaningless Labels One of the criticisms about companies that promote green electronics is that eco-labelling can mislead consumers into thinking that once a product is marked as “eco-friendly”, “renewable” or “natural”, it immediately means that an electronic product is suitable for the environment. The argument specifically points out that companies can merely label products as “green electronics” and it would immediately sell to consumers, making the branding meaningless and oftentimes, misleading. According to Rodie (2008), the terms which companies use to label their products have no “certifiable meaning as it merely conveys a simple idea of environmental responsibility”. In addition, Saunders (2010) argued that consumers are faced over 300 eco-labels in consumer goods each year. As such, buyers are faced with an increasingly complex and confusing task of sorting which products really benefit the environment. However, these complaints about the misleading information about various eco labels are being addressed by environmental protection agencies which are regulated by government agencies in many countries. It must be remembered that electronic products, which can potentially be a major contributor to electronic waste, go through rigorous processes to get environmental certifications from certified agencies. For instance, in the United States, all major electronic appliances must meet the standards set by the government’s energy department. In Europe, the EU Ecolabel initiates the labeling of products, such as consumer electronics, to examine its environmental quality. While it is confusing to have many eco-labels in electronic products, it can also be argued that companies cannot over simplify the various environmental issues by having only one label for their products. There are many aspects in examining electronic goods, ranging from its energy saving features up to carbon footprint tests. It is only right that labels coexist with each other so that consumers can well examine the environmental features of a product, thus presenting consumers with informed choice upon their purchase. Moreover, the problem is not the labeling itself but the coordination of labeling agencies with the government regulated bodies. In the United States, labeling for electronic products was successfully implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency using the “Energy Star” seal to mark consumer electronic products that are energy efficient. Not Entirely Eco-friendly Other argument that disputes the significance of green electronics is the idea that an electronic product cannot be totally eco-friendly. For environmental skeptics, all electronic products are harmful to the environment because they are composed of toxic materials that are not disposable and recyclable. For this claim to be debunked, one needs to look at green electronic products and what it can do to successfully prevent environmental degradation. Green electronics is substantiated because of the innovative and sustainable products have been developed manufacturers in recent years. These products are testament that “going green”, even in the electronics sector, can work and can contribute to the energy-saving and waste management efforts by various electronics company. For instance, the newest innovations that have shaped today’s electronics industry include solar cell phones, electronic tap, and LED screens. Solar cell phones have been developed to conserve energy by eliminating the mobile charging process when one uses a cell phone. It only takes a few minutes of solar exposure before the phone can work because its battery is equipped with solar panels that capture energy from the sun. Another proof that green electronics work is the popularity of LED screens. Nowadays, more and more television manufacturers are using light emitting diodes (LEDs) in TV screens. In fact, Samsung launched a flat screen TV which consumes 40% less power thanks to LED technology. It is fast replacing the traditional cathode lamps because it consumes less power and does not use mercury or lead. Despite the fact that it uses less power, viewers are not to worry since LED technology produces high picture quality. Lastly, the efficiency in green electronics can be seen in the development of electronic tap. Running taps can be replaced by electronic ones and this can have an advantage because of motion sensing. Once motion is detected in the sink, a preset temperature is activated, which not only prevents scalding from water that’s too hot but also leads to savings of “about 80 per cent of the water normally used with a conventional faucet” (Dickson, 2010). Hope in Green Electronics With more and more innovations in the electronics sector, it is certain that green electronics have contributed to the more efficient use of energy in producing consumer electronic products. Though environmental skeptics label the green movement as “hype”, it cannot dispel the fact that green electronics have contributed to the sustainability and innovation of products in the market. In fact, going green has been considered “hype” because people have started to realize the need to be responsible with our environment. As a result, companies are now being pushed to develop electronic products which are energy efficient and innovative. Because of these developments, Greenpeace International (2009) has concluded that “consumer electronic products on the market today have a smaller environmental footprint than those sold ten years ago”. If not for green electronics, the electronics sector would contribute more to the harmful impact of environment degradation. It is only right for us to consider green electronics as a hope in this technologically advanced world. Going green being declared as “hype” should be dispelled because electronic industries are clearly taking steps for energy saving and environmental preservation. Yes, there are still many challenges, such as eco-labeling and energy efficiency, that we need to address but at least we have taken the necessary steps to ensure that we can achieve sustainable living in today’s modern environment. Works Cited Beaumont, Claudine. CES 2009: Greenpeace says gadgets could be greener. 10 Jan 2009 The Telegraph UK. 27 March 2012. Dickson, Bruce. Install an Electronic Tap. Canadian Home Workshop. Web. 27 March 2012. < http://canadianhomeworkshop.com/210/kitchen-bath/install-an-electronic-tap?> Greenpeace International. New Electronic Gadgets - They may be Smaller, Slimmer, Slicker and Faster…but are they Greener? 08 Jan. 2009. Greenpeace International. 27 March 2012. . Rodie, Janet Bealer. Going Green: Beyond Marketing Hype. November/December 2008. Textile World. Web. 27 March 2012. Saunders, Joshua. Are There Too Many Eco-labels and Green Ratings? 23 September 2010. GreenBiz. Web. 27 March 2009. Read More