Microsoft wants to help you go green with your PC - launches new website

By Michael Archambault
published

Microsoft is concerned about the current state of the environment (see their electric vehicle program as one example) and wants you to take notice in their latest endeavor. The boys in Redmond have recently launched a new website to help customers “make environmentally friendly PC decisions.”

According to Microsoft’s Green Blog, the manufacturing process of a PC can account for up to two thirds of a PC’s total environmental footprint. When making a brand new Ultrabook, tablet, or other type of PC, a lot of raw materials, energy, and water are needed.

Microsoft wants to help consumers and IT professionals make easier purchasing conditions when shopping for machines that are environmentally friendly. The website discusses the maze of options when buying, using, and disposing PCs in a green manner.

Three upfront tips Microsoft states for the green program:

  • Buy smart: Purchase only certified PCs that have been manufactured in more environmentally sustainable ways.
  • Use smart: Understand various power options so your PC uses energy more efficiently.
  • Dispose safely: Dispose of used electronics so they can be reused and recycled and cause minimal harm to the environment.

If you wish to venture deeper into the website you can learn more about environmentally friendly PCs and how to deal with their use and disposal. Visitors can learn more about green IT standards including EPEAT, e-Stewards, WEEELabex, Energy Star, and R2 Solutions.

Users who read the site through can then take the “Greener IT Challenge”; the test consists of multiple-choice questions and allows those who pass to download a “Greener IT” certificate for recognition.

Microsoft reminds users that in fiscal year 2013, they had recycled over 37,000 PCs. The company’s IT department has helped lower energy consumption by 32 percent, lowered the amount of CO2 emissions given off, and saved money as a result of green energy practices.

Head over to “The Greener IT” challenge today and check out how you can help the environment.

Source: Microsoft Green Blog

14 Comments
  • now more people should get over their oil obsession and recycle
  • I custom built my PC. A 35w tdp ivy bridge, Kingston lovo ram, SSD as they use less power. No gfx card. Platinum rated power supply. Sites like this sound good to me, wasn't much info around when I was looking into it.
  • Even the solar powered keyboard from Logitech. :-)
  • I guess if this stuff helps you, fine. I don't see this as being a useful endeavor for myself though, as I'm not getting a laptop, and I already have an idea of the parts I'll put in my PC next time I decide to upgrade.
  • it doesn't neccessary have to mean you have to use low power PCs, recycling and knowing how to manage power consumption and the various states matters too
  • Go green give me a break, in the future they will be taxing you for breathing if they get their way. You recycle at the same time the big companies pollute all around us. With all this cheap plastic
  • +1 and our generation has enough petroleum and fossil fuels for us to live happily for at least the next 70 years so it's not our problem its the next generations;)
  • no kids eh?
  • Its the big companies that pollute and they want me to cut down and sacrifice and we already paying for recycled stuff and paying for expensive gas, hell no, im sticking with my v8 built PC 1500 watts, I can't even remember when was the last time I turned it off for more then 12 hours.
  • Way to go, screw the earth because a lot of big companies are making bad choices. How many big companies making better choices will it take to convince you to switch, and how will you measure? Who do you think run those big companies? People like you and me do, and when you make stupid comments like the one you did, you spread the sentiment that the environment doesn't matter.
  • Lol and these big companies are willing to go bankrupt for the environment? never...When shit hits the fan they will cut your echo friendly green tree and make a nice chair for the $$$ in the far east... The only problem I have is that everyone is pretending-turning into environmental friendly and the prices only keeps going up...So yea screw it, I respect the environment by keeping my self and everything around me clean and tidy, my garden, my home, my office desk, the public places I am at, I wanted to write more but its a waste of time coz we both can't convince each other, so yea, MS is going echo by showing us how to do it lol, buy a laptop that is certified.
  • Sorry I forgot to mention that I drive a 2004 Mustang Cobra, its a V8, burns hell lots of gas, I drive to work 5 minute ride.
  • +920 Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
  • Well You must understand that a company can't just change there entire infrastructure...
    Even will the best of will they cannot just decide to do everything green... It takes time. Also "the people" you and me and everybody are in these terms the biggest company on earth, every person counts. Also being/getting green does not mean buy green stuff... Just use the things you have more carefully and longer instead of going on an buying spree... Ex: Don't throw away plastic shopping bags, use them next time you go shopping instead of buying/taking a new one. (which again forces the company's to quickly mass produce (and not being green)