The Cape City Green Week and the recently held Brands and Branding for Good Conference are examples of the fact that ‘green awareness’ is spreading to beyond merely forming part of corporate CSI, to becoming wiser about the issues of green computing and green IT in a media sense.
Green computing can be broken down into green use (reducing the energy consumption of computers and other information systems, as well as using them in an environmentally sound manner); green disposal (refurbishing and re-using old computers, and properly recycling unwanted computers and other electronic equipment); and green design (designing energy-efficient and environmentally sound components; computers; servers; cooling equipment; and data centres).
I recently blogged about how South African are starting to recycle their computing equipment and old cell phones, as this keeps harmful materials such as lead and mercury out of landfills.
While media consumption is definitely on the increase – particularly in the mobile sector, with cellphone contract holders claiming a new handset every two years – the resulting ‘waste’ is fast accumulating. Take action by recycling your outdated phone, if possible – by giving it to someone less fortunate, for example.
What are your thoughts on getting businesses more ‘green-wise’? Do you work in a paper-free environment or conduct online searches on the more energy-efficient ‘Blackle‘? Feel free to share your comments below.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Blackle, computer equipment, energy efficient, going green, paper-free environment, recycle
