During the pandemic, there is one device in particular that has become even more popular if possible: the laptop. At the beginning of the first state of alarm, demand grew so much that supply chains struggled to meet it.
Laptops have become
indispensable for working and studying from home, and they are also excellent
devices for communicating with loved ones, for online shopping, and
for general entertainment.
However, this demand
comes at the cost of an equally worrisome global problem: climate change. Many
companies have factories throughout the planet and the manufacturing process of
these products is so complicated that future recycling is impossible.
Is it possible that notebook production and sustainability exist at the same time? Can a laptop really be considered sustainable? Which companies put the well-being of the environment first? We find out below.
What
is sustainability?
In general terms, sustainability is
considered that which allows us to satisfy our needs without compromising the
possibility of future generations to satisfy their own needs.
In the context of
the technology sector, it basically refers to two areas: manufacturing and
distribution. Some company are already taking the first steps to produce
at a high level using the least possible resources.
Others are
dedicating their efforts to investing in projects that help remove polluting
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making them carbon neutral.
The most
sustainable laptops you can buy are made, at least partially, from responsibly
mined materials, while the companies that make them often promise they will be
carbon neutral for the foreseeable future.
Which
companies are the most sustainable?
Many manufacturers dedicate part of
their web pages to explain their commitment to sustainability. But that
does not necessarily mean that they are carrying out what they have promised.
HP
HP is strongly committed to reducing
its impact on the environment. The company ensures that it already
manufactures 80% of its mechanical parts from recycled materials, while they
have also already used 1.7 million tons of plastic found in the sea in their
products.
The company also claims that the Elite Dragonfly is the first notebook in the world to use this plastic recovered from the ocean, while its recently announced range of HP Pavilion notebooks has also been manufactured in a similar way.
Microsoft
Microsoft has arguably been the most
ambitious company in its long-term goals, engaging in both the carbon, water,
waste and ecosystems departments.
The technology
giant assures that, in 2030, it will be carbon neutral, will use hydraulic
energy and will have a production without waste. It's also committed to
protecting and restoring more territory than it uses by 2025.
If it achieves
these goals, Microsoft will be among the most sustainable companies in the
world in a decade. Although it hasn't gotten there yet, you can buy the Surface
Pro 7 or Surface Book 3 knowing that the company has produced
them with the environment in mind.
Manzana
Like Microsoft, Apple has made a
commitment to be carbon neutral from its supply chain to its manufacturing
process starting in 2030. It has not hesitated to repeat this at its latest
product launch events.
In fact, the
company announced at the September event that it would stop including a power
adapter in the box of its iPhones to reduce environmental impact. Although
not everyone has a USB-C adapter at home, it is a step in the right direction.
Something similar
will surely happen with the next MacBooks. No Apple notebook is compatible
with a charge greater than 30W, so it is likely that most people who buy a new
MacBook have a compatible charger from an older model.
As they assure from MacRumors ,
the latest Mac 30W charger is also compatible with the latest iPhone and iPad
Pro models, which makes it less necessary to have one more cable at home.
Dell
It seems that Dell is leading the way
when it comes to sustainability, as there are reports that the company has been
carbon neutral since 2019. The same Industry Week article also
points out that its headquarters in Texas use 100% renewable energy.
Dell has not set
any specific goals for the future, but its current progress is very promising. Aside
from potential electronic waste, devices like the XPS 13 are
attractive both because they will last you for many years and because they are
made by a company that takes the planet very seriously.
Acer
On its website , Acer lists
several ways to reduce the impact its products have on the environment. Here
are some of them:
- Extend the life of products
to reduce the need to constantly buy new ones.
- Design devices in such a way
that they are easier to repair or recondition.
- Commit to using recycled
plastics in products (currently that's 8.9% of all laptops made).
- Restrict the use of
chemicals, particularly those that can harm the environment.
- Ban any relationship with
suppliers guilty of deforestation and illegal logging.
- Minimize the consumption of
paper and use ecological alternatives when necessary.
- Reduce the size of product
boxes and make them recyclable.
- Make products energy
efficient by design (many with US Energy Star certification).
- Design products so that they
can be recycled as easily as possible and work with other organizations
that manage e-waste.
Although these are
commitments as a company, it is clear that notebooks like the Acer Swift 5 or
the Acer Swift 3 have been produced responsibly.
Lenovo
Like many companies, Lenovo produces
an annual sustainability report. It highlights the key areas in which you
are committed to caring for the environment, such as the ones we highlight
below:
- Reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
- Use renewable energy sources
where possible.
- Save water.
- Use environmentally friendly
products during the manufacturing, packaging and recycling process.
Lenovo also wants
to be more transparent about the impact it has on the environment and climate
change. Unlike other manufacturers, the company only claims that it is
"committed to reducing (its) global carbon footprint", without
specifying any objective.
However, arguably
this could indicate that your path to sustainability will come earlier. Products
in the Yoga and ThinkPad ranges are built to last, and combined with the points
above, that makes them a sustainable option.
It is practically
impossible to talk about all the laptop manufacturers in the world in a single
article. It's clear that most major brands have sustainability goals, but
it remains to be seen how many will meet.
If you are look for
a specific list of laptop models, we recommend that you visit the website for TCO
Certification , an internationally recognized sustainability standard.
After all, laptops
are more sustainable than other products such as smartphones ,
as they have a longer life. People usually use the same laptop for about
five years, while it is common to switch mobile phones every two years.
While the 100%
sustainable laptop does not arrive from a brand that is also 100% sustainable,
we suggest you visit our best laptops article to see which
laptops have a longer life expectancy.
