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Appendix
ELSA ECOMO 5 30
25
English
Appendix
TCO ’99
Congratulations! You have just purchased a TCO ’99 approved and labelled product! Your
choice has provided you with a product developed for professional use. Your purchase
has also contributed to reducing the burden on the environment and also to the further
development of environmentally adapted electronics products.
Why do we have environmentally labelled computers?
In many countries, environmental labelling has become an established method for encou-
raging the adaptation of goods and services to the environment. The main problem, as
far as computers and other electronics equipment are concerned, is that environmentally
harmful substances are used both in the products and during their manufacture. Since it
is not so far possible to satisfactorily recycle the majority of electronics equipment, most
of these potentially damaging substances sooner or later enter nature.
There are also other characteristics of a computer, such as energy consumption levels,
that are important from the viewpoints of both the work (internal) and natural (external)
environments. Since all methods of electricity generation have a negative effect on the
environment (e.g. acidic and climate-influencing emissions, radioactive waste), it is vital
to save energy. Electronics equipment in offices is often left running continuously and
thereby consumes a lot of energy.
What does labelling involve?
This product meets the requirements for the TCO ’99 scheme which provides for interna-
tional and environmental labelling of personal computers. The labelling scheme was
developed as a joint effort by the TCO (The Swedish Confederation of Professional
Employees), Svenska Naturskyddsforeningen (The Swedish Society for Nature Conserva-
tion) and Statens Energimyndighet (The Swedish National Energy Administration).
Approval requirements cover a wide range of issues: environment, ergonomics, usability,
emission of electric and magnetic fields, energy consumption and electrical and fire
safety.
The environmental demands impose restrictions on the presence and use of heavy
metals, brominated and chlorinated flame retardants, CFCs (freons) and chlorinated sol-
vents, among other things. The product must be prepared for recycling and the manufac-
turer is obliged to have an environmental policy which must be adhered to in each country
where the company implements its operational policy.